In Case You Haven't Heard...

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), defined as an excessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in personal appearance, affects almost two in every 100 teens, according to a report in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The report also found that BDD is much more common in girls than boys, according to an American Psychiatric Association news alert. Moreover, children and adolescents with BDD are highly likely to have other psychiatric disorders — especially depression and anxiety — and to experience psychosocial problems, self‐harm and/or suicide attempts. "The researchers analyzed data from 7,654 children and young people aged 5‐19 who completed the 2017 Mental Health of Children and Young People in England survey with their parents/guardians. Among all children and teens aged 5‐19, the prevalence of BDD was 1%. BDD was more common among teens ages 12‐19 (1.9%) than among children ages 5‐11 (0.1%). Across all ages, BDD was also more common in girls (1.8%) than boys (0.3%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]