ABSTRACT
The prevalence of BDD symptoms was 55%. Mild to moderate BDD symptoms were present in 53% of patients, and severe symptoms in 47%. Perception of self-reference, bullying, avoidance behaviours (avoidance of looking in the mirror, sexuality, public situations and physical activities), comparing self to others, reassurance seeking regarding the perceived defect, and time spent on appearance influenced in 79.9% (R2 = 0.799) the BDDE score, with avoidance of physical contact contributing to an increase in the severity of symptoms by a factor of 16.82 (ANOVA).
