Cognitive-affective reactions to a non-judgmental and judgmental mirror gazing task in individuals with body dysmorphic concerns

• Published in: Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry 2022-12, Vol.77, p.101779-101779, Article 101779
• Main Authors: Schoenenberg, Katrin, Martin, Alexandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Body dysmorphic disorder; Cognitive models; Distortion; Medical screening; Psychological distress
• ISSN: 0005-7916; 1873-7943
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2022.101779

Background and objectives: The look into the mirror represents a typical trigger situation for people with body dysmorphic concerns. Mirror exposure on the other hand is commonly used in the treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder even though little is known about its precise effects. This study aimed to investigate cognitive-affective processes related to mirror gazing. Methods: A total of 125 individuals (screening for body dysmorphic concerns: NBDD+ = 56, negative NBDD- = 69) participated in a laboratory study using a guided 10-min mirror gazing task. Participants were randomized to one of two experimental conditions, a non-judgmental and judgmental description of the own body during mirror gazing. Distress, self-hostile cognitions and post-event processing were assessed after the task and at follow-up. Results: Participants with body dysmorphic concerns showed higher values regarding subjective appearance distortion, stress induced by the exposure, distress, self-hostile cognitions and post-event processing compared to the symptom negative group. The two conditions did not yield differential effects. Limitations: The short duration of the mirror gazing and the only internal description of the body may have contributed to a missing effect for the approach. Conclusions: The results indicate the importance of cognitive and affective processes in reaction to mirror exposure. They support the cognitive model of BDD and suggest post-event processing as a relevant factor requiring further investigation in future research.