Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and its Effect on the Self-Esteem of Medical Students in Punjab: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a globally occurring psychiatric disorder of variable severity. Studies have shown that BDD is prevalent worldwide, especially in the student population. However, Pakistan has conducted only a few studies in this regard.

Methods: Data was collected through non-probability sampling using an online survey for a cross-sectional descriptive study with a sample size of 180 medical students and 16 house officers from 4 medical colleges across Punjab, determined by the Cochrane formula from August 2024 to February 2025.

Results:<>The sample data included 58.2% (n = 114/196) males and 41.8% (n = 82/196) females. The BDD Questionnaire diagnosed nearly 9.7% of them as “likely having BDD”, and another 10.2% as “may have BDD”. The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale showed that almost 10.7% of subjects had low self-esteem. Out of 19 who fell under the DSM-IV criteria for BDD, 6 subjects had low self-esteem.

Of 196 respondents, 5.1% (n = 10/196) consistently compared their physical defects with those they saw on social media or television. Our study demonstrated a significant relationship between Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and self-esteem, as demonstrated by a chi-squared analysis with a p-value of less than 0.05.

Conclusions: BDD was found to be prevalent among medical students, affecting their regular daily routine and having its effect in lowering their self-esteem.