Pharmacologic treatment of body dysmorphic disorder: review of the evidence and a recommended treatment approach

Research on effective pharmacotherapy for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) has rapidly increased in recent years, with emerging data consistently indicating that serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are often efficacious for this disorder. Although data are limited, it appears that higher SRI doses and longer treatment trials than those used for many other psychiatric disorders are often needed to treat BDD effectively. Approaches to treatment-resistant BDD have received little investigation, but available data indicate that switching to another SRI and several SRI-augmentation strategies may be helpful. This article reviews the empirical literature on BDD and offers a recommended approach to the pharmacotherapy of this distressing and often disabling disorder.