The Epidemiology and Impact of Social Trauma: Preliminary Results from a Population Study among Icelandic Women

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by a preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in physical appearance (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Social anxiety is prominent in BDD and the disorder has been found to be closely related to social anxiety disorder (SAD; Fang et al., 2011; Kelly, Walter, & Phillips, 2010; Phillips, 2005). There are limited data on risk factors for the development of BDD, but some empirical evidence suggests that traumatic events can contribute to its onset (see e.g. Buhlmann, Marques, & Wilhelm, 2012; Didie et al., 2006). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between trauma and BDD. Specifically, we wanted to examine whether there was an association between BDD and social trauma, defined as negative social events involving severe rejection, ridicule or humiliation.