People with body dysmorphic disorder (formally known as dysmorphophobia) have an excessive pre-occupation with a specific body part which causes distress or some degree of impairment in functioning, based purely on the belief that this body part is deformed or defective.
Symptoms and characteristics
People with body dysmorphic disorder essentially become obsessed with a non-existent or cosmetic flaw (e.g. nose size) and persistently seeks surgical procedures to “fix” it.
The disorder can range from mild to severe and has been linked with both obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorder and depression.
Body dysmorphic disorder affects males and females equally (PsychNet 2007).
Workplace solutions and adjustments
There are solutions and adjustments for the following relevant job requirements:
References
AllPsych 2004, Somatoform Disorders, AllPsych and Heffner Media Group Inc., Florida, viewed 18 February 2007, < http://allpsych.com/disorders/somatoform/index.html>.
PsychNet-UK 2007, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, PsychNet-UK, London, viewed 20 April 2007, <http://www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/body_dysmorphic_disorder.htm>.