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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Primary Purpose

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Status
Completed
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
United Kingdom
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
CBT specific for BDD
Non specific CBT
Sponsored by
Institute of Psychiatry, London
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Body Dysmorphic Disorder focused on measuring CBT, BDD

Eligibility Criteria

17 Years - 65 Years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • BDD is the main psychological problem. We will use DSMIV criteria as BDD does not exist as a separate diagnosis in ICD10. They may have an additional diagnosis of Delusional Disorder when it refers to beliefs about being ugly or defective.
  • They must have a total of 24 or more on the twelve-item YBOCS modified for BDD (Phillips et al., 1997).
  • They may be of either gender but must be 17 years or above.
  • They are willing to travel to the treatment centre for weekly sessions.
  • They are wiling to complete regular questionnaires and be audiotaped for supervision and for listening to enhance their learning.
  • They may be taking psychotropic medication so long as it is stabilised and there are no plans to increase the dose.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • They have a current or past diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder.
  • They have current suicidal intent or severe self-neglect that requires hospitalisation.
  • They have a current alcohol or substance dependence or anorexia nervosa or borderline personality disorder that requires treatment in its own right.
  • They are currently receiving any other form of psychotherapy,
  • They have received CBT for BDD in the past 6 months, which is judged as competently delivered and did not respond.
  • They cannot speak sufficient English for CBT. (Assistance will be provided for those who speak English but are unable to read questionnaires).

Sites / Locations

  • South London and Maudsley NHS Trust

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

Active Comparator

Arm Label

CBT specific for BDD

Non Specific CBT

Arm Description

This consisted of 12 wks of 1 hr sessions (1 per week).The consisted of engagement in a developmental understanding of the problem and setting up an alternative view of the problem. Imagery rescripting followed for past aversive memories that were associated with the onset (e.g. bullying). The behaviours were aimed at either (1) threat detection and monitoring or (2) preventing feared consequences by avoidance or (3) attempts to undo the appearance concerns. The therapist aimed to help individuals identify their beliefs about processes, conduct behavioural experiments that tested out their expectations and to gradually drop the safety-seeking behaviours and test out their fears.

Anxiety Management treatment was provided once a week for 12 weeks, with each session lasting 1 hr. AM was planned to entail a therapeutic alliance, support and homework similar to the CBT group. The rationale provided was that when triggered, the person would experience a threat and negative thoughts about their appearance. This, in turn, would lead to physical symptoms of anxiety and magnify the perceived threat. The treatment consisted of (1) practising progressive muscle relaxation and breathing daily, (2) identifying triggers and physical symptoms associated with appearance-related anxiety and (3) utilising brief muscle relaxation and breathing techniques in trigger situations.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Modified for BDD) (BDD -YBOCS) (Phillips et al., 1997)
This is a clinician-rated scale administered by a trained blinded assessor. The range is 0-48. Cronbach's α for the scale is 0.80. Response to treatment is defined as a 30% or greater decrease in the total BDD-YBOCS score, which best corresponded to 'much improved' on the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. In the original validation study, this cutoff score produced 1 false negative (96% sensitivity), that is, 1 participant who was rated as much or very much improved on the CGI was not classified as a responder on the BDD-YBOCS using the 30% threshold.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Brown Assessment of Beliefs to Measure the Strength of Conviction in Beliefs About Being Ugly (Eisen et al., 1998)
BABS is a 7-item clinician scale rated by a blinded assessor to measure the strength of conviction in a belief (e.g. 'I am as ugly as the Elephant man'); each item is rated from 0 ('non-delusional belief, or least pathological') to 4 ('delusional belief, or most pathological') and the total scores range from 0 to 24; higher scores represent an increasing delusionality of beliefs; respondents are classified as having delusional BDD beliefs if their total score is 18 or more, and if they score 4 on the first item, indicating they are completely convinced that their belief is accurate.
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (Montgomery and Asberg, 1979).
MADRS is a 10-item clinician scale rated by a blinded assessor to measure symptoms of depression; each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 0 (indicating 'normal' or 'no difficulties') to 6, and the range is 0-60; higher scores reflect a greater symptomatology; a MADRS total score of ≥ 25 is regarded as moderate, and of >31 as severe.
Appearance Anxiety Inventory (AAI)
The AAI is a 10- item self-report questionnaire for measuring the frequency of avoidance behaviour and threat-monitoring (e.g. checking, self-focussed attention) that are characteristic of a response to a distorted body image; each item is scored from 0 ('not at all') to 4 ('all the time'), and the range of the total scores is 0-40, with higher scores reflecting a greater frequency of the responses; the AAI has a Cronbach's α of 0.86.
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9
The PHQ is a 9-item self-report measure of depression; each item is scored from 0 ('not at all') to 3 ('nearly every day'),and the summed total score ranges from 0 to 27, with higher scores reflecting a greater symptomatology of depression; Cronbach's α for the scale is 0.89.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7
The GAD-7 is a 7-item self-report measure for symptoms of generalised anxiety; each item is scored from 0 to 3, and the summed total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores reflecting a greater symptomatology; Cronbach's α for the measure is 0.92.
Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI)
The BIQLI is a 19-item self-report scale that measures the impact of body image concerns on a broad range of life domains (e.g. sense of self, social functioning, sexuality, emotional well-being, exercise and grooming); the BIQLI is scored as the average numeric score of all the items from -3 ('very negative effect') to +3 ('very positive effect'); Cronbach's α for the scale is 0.95.

Full Information

First Posted
March 27, 2009
Last Updated
September 4, 2015
Sponsor
Institute of Psychiatry, London
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT00871143
Brief Title
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Official Title
Efficacy of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy -v- Anxiety Management for Body Dysmorphic Disorder: a Randomised Controlled Trial
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
September 2015
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
April 2009 (undefined)
Primary Completion Date
May 2011 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
September 2012 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
Institute of Psychiatry, London

4. Oversight

Data Monitoring Committee
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
The aim of the research is to determine if Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) specific for BDD is more effective than a credible non-specific form of CBT for treating BDD and its delusional variant in adults aged 17 or over. This will be done in a single centre randomised controlled trial that compares specific CBT for BDD versus non-specific CBT over 12 weeks. The hypotheses to be tested are that: (1) specific CBT for BDD will be more effective than non-specific CBT at 12 weeks (2) Treatment effects from Specific CBT will be maintained at 1 month follow up. The main study end-point is at 12 weeks and the secondary end-point is at 1 month follow up. A secondary aim is to explore whether delusionality (insight) as measured by the Brown Assessment of Beliefs and co-morbid depressed mood predicts response to treatment.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Keywords
CBT, BDD

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
Outcomes Assessor
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
46 (Actual)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
CBT specific for BDD
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
This consisted of 12 wks of 1 hr sessions (1 per week).The consisted of engagement in a developmental understanding of the problem and setting up an alternative view of the problem. Imagery rescripting followed for past aversive memories that were associated with the onset (e.g. bullying). The behaviours were aimed at either (1) threat detection and monitoring or (2) preventing feared consequences by avoidance or (3) attempts to undo the appearance concerns. The therapist aimed to help individuals identify their beliefs about processes, conduct behavioural experiments that tested out their expectations and to gradually drop the safety-seeking behaviours and test out their fears.
Arm Title
Non Specific CBT
Arm Type
Active Comparator
Arm Description
Anxiety Management treatment was provided once a week for 12 weeks, with each session lasting 1 hr. AM was planned to entail a therapeutic alliance, support and homework similar to the CBT group. The rationale provided was that when triggered, the person would experience a threat and negative thoughts about their appearance. This, in turn, would lead to physical symptoms of anxiety and magnify the perceived threat. The treatment consisted of (1) practising progressive muscle relaxation and breathing daily, (2) identifying triggers and physical symptoms associated with appearance-related anxiety and (3) utilising brief muscle relaxation and breathing techniques in trigger situations.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
CBT specific for BDD
Intervention Description
This consisted of 12 wks of 1 hr sessions (1 per week).The consisted of engagement in a developmental understanding of the problem and setting up an alternative view of the problem. Imagery rescripting followed for past aversive memories that were associated with the onset (e.g. bullying). The behaviours were aimed at either (1) threat detection and monitoring or (2) preventing feared consequences by avoidance or (3) attempts to undo the appearance concerns. The therapist aimed to help individuals identify their beliefs about processes, conduct behavioural experiments that tested out their expectations and to gradually drop the safety-seeking behaviours and test out their fears.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
Non specific CBT
Intervention Description
Anxiety Management treatment was provided once a week for 12 weeks, with each session lasting 1 hr. AM was planned to entail a therapeutic alliance, support and homework similar to the CBT group. The rationale provided was that when triggered, the person would experience a threat and negative thoughts about their appearance. This, in turn, would lead to physical symptoms of anxiety and magnify the perceived threat. The treatment consisted of (1) practising progressive muscle relaxation and breathing daily, (2) identifying triggers and physical symptoms associated with appearance-related anxiety and (3) utilising brief muscle relaxation and breathing techniques in trigger situations.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Modified for BDD) (BDD -YBOCS) (Phillips et al., 1997)
Description
This is a clinician-rated scale administered by a trained blinded assessor. The range is 0-48. Cronbach's α for the scale is 0.80. Response to treatment is defined as a 30% or greater decrease in the total BDD-YBOCS score, which best corresponded to 'much improved' on the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. In the original validation study, this cutoff score produced 1 false negative (96% sensitivity), that is, 1 participant who was rated as much or very much improved on the CGI was not classified as a responder on the BDD-YBOCS using the 30% threshold.
Time Frame
12 weeks, 1 month post treatment
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Brown Assessment of Beliefs to Measure the Strength of Conviction in Beliefs About Being Ugly (Eisen et al., 1998)
Description
BABS is a 7-item clinician scale rated by a blinded assessor to measure the strength of conviction in a belief (e.g. 'I am as ugly as the Elephant man'); each item is rated from 0 ('non-delusional belief, or least pathological') to 4 ('delusional belief, or most pathological') and the total scores range from 0 to 24; higher scores represent an increasing delusionality of beliefs; respondents are classified as having delusional BDD beliefs if their total score is 18 or more, and if they score 4 on the first item, indicating they are completely convinced that their belief is accurate.
Time Frame
12 weeks, 1 month post treatment
Title
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (Montgomery and Asberg, 1979).
Description
MADRS is a 10-item clinician scale rated by a blinded assessor to measure symptoms of depression; each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 0 (indicating 'normal' or 'no difficulties') to 6, and the range is 0-60; higher scores reflect a greater symptomatology; a MADRS total score of ≥ 25 is regarded as moderate, and of >31 as severe.
Time Frame
12 weeks, 1 month post treatment
Title
Appearance Anxiety Inventory (AAI)
Description
The AAI is a 10- item self-report questionnaire for measuring the frequency of avoidance behaviour and threat-monitoring (e.g. checking, self-focussed attention) that are characteristic of a response to a distorted body image; each item is scored from 0 ('not at all') to 4 ('all the time'), and the range of the total scores is 0-40, with higher scores reflecting a greater frequency of the responses; the AAI has a Cronbach's α of 0.86.
Time Frame
12 weeks, 1 month post treatment
Title
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9
Description
The PHQ is a 9-item self-report measure of depression; each item is scored from 0 ('not at all') to 3 ('nearly every day'),and the summed total score ranges from 0 to 27, with higher scores reflecting a greater symptomatology of depression; Cronbach's α for the scale is 0.89.
Time Frame
12 weeks, 1 month post treatment
Title
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7
Description
The GAD-7 is a 7-item self-report measure for symptoms of generalised anxiety; each item is scored from 0 to 3, and the summed total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores reflecting a greater symptomatology; Cronbach's α for the measure is 0.92.
Time Frame
12 weeks,1 month post treatment
Title
Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI)
Description
The BIQLI is a 19-item self-report scale that measures the impact of body image concerns on a broad range of life domains (e.g. sense of self, social functioning, sexuality, emotional well-being, exercise and grooming); the BIQLI is scored as the average numeric score of all the items from -3 ('very negative effect') to +3 ('very positive effect'); Cronbach's α for the scale is 0.95.
Time Frame
12 weeks, 1 month post treatment

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
17 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
65 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: BDD is the main psychological problem. We will use DSMIV criteria as BDD does not exist as a separate diagnosis in ICD10. They may have an additional diagnosis of Delusional Disorder when it refers to beliefs about being ugly or defective. They must have a total of 24 or more on the twelve-item YBOCS modified for BDD (Phillips et al., 1997). They may be of either gender but must be 17 years or above. They are willing to travel to the treatment centre for weekly sessions. They are wiling to complete regular questionnaires and be audiotaped for supervision and for listening to enhance their learning. They may be taking psychotropic medication so long as it is stabilised and there are no plans to increase the dose. Exclusion Criteria: They have a current or past diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder. They have current suicidal intent or severe self-neglect that requires hospitalisation. They have a current alcohol or substance dependence or anorexia nervosa or borderline personality disorder that requires treatment in its own right. They are currently receiving any other form of psychotherapy, They have received CBT for BDD in the past 6 months, which is judged as competently delivered and did not respond. They cannot speak sufficient English for CBT. (Assistance will be provided for those who speak English but are unable to read questionnaires).
Facility Information:
Facility Name
South London and Maudsley NHS Trust
City
London
ZIP/Postal Code
SE5 8AZ
Country
United Kingdom

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Citations:
PubMed Identifier
25323062
Citation
Veale D, Anson M, Miles S, Pieta M, Costa A, Ellison N. Efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapy versus anxiety management for body dysmorphic disorder: a randomised controlled trial. Psychother Psychosom. 2014;83(6):341-53. doi: 10.1159/000360740. Epub 2014 Oct 16.
Results Reference
result

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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

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