Development and validation of the "Questionario sul dismorfismo corporeo" in an Italian community sample

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is characterized by preoccupation with perceived defects in physical appearance that are not observable to others. Little is known about BDD prevalence and phenomenology in the Italian context and no data are currently available on its prevalence and phenomenology as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Fifth Edition criteria in Italy. Furthermore, no Italian self-report questionnaires specifically assessing BDD phenomenology and its associated clinical features are currently available. Therefore, the current study aimed at developing and validating a new self-report questionnaire, the Questionario sul Dismorfismo Corporeo (QDC). Six hundred and fifteen community individuals from Northern, Central and Southern Italy (69.4% female) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires including the QDC and other measures aimed at assessing psychological and psychopathological features related to BDD (self-esteem, social anxiety, general distress, obsessive compulsive and eating disorders symptoms). The QDC demonstrated a single factor structure and excellent internal consistency. Moreover, the QDC showed excellent one-month test-retest reliability and a cut-off point of > 130. Finally, significant correlations were found between the QDC and associated psychological and psychopathological measures. Overall, results suggest that the QDC represents a reliable measure to assess BDD within the Italian context.