Structural Relationship between Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs: Mediating Role of Body Image and Mindfulness

In body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), individuals become greatly distressed or disturbed due to flaws they believe exist in their physical appearance, regardless of the trivial nature or non-existence of these perceived imperfections.

The study aimed to explore the structural relationship between body dysmorphic disorder and satisfaction of basic psychological needs with the mediating role of body image and mindfulness.

This descriptive and correlational study is part of structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population for this study included all students at Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e-Qods Branch during the 2022-2023 academic year. A sample of 377 subjects were selected in a convenience method. Online surveys were used to collect the required data from all university students in Shahr-e-Qods. The instruments were Basic Psychological Needs Questioner (BPNQ), the Body Dysmorphic Metacognitive Questionnaire, the Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS), and The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). The statistical procedures were run in SPSS22 and AMOS22.

The findings showed that there is a very strong positive correlation coefficient between body image and body dysmorphic disorder (r = 0.587, P < 0.01).

In general, it can be concluded that traits such as satisfying the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and communication by influencing increased awareness of the present moment and attention “non-judgmental” i.e. The practice of "mindfulness" and a decreased focus on body image, along with respect for body and appearance, can help students avoid symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder.