A descriptive analysis of scoring patterns on clinically relevant questionnaires in 26 adults with diagnosed muscle dysmorphia

Abstract

Objective: Few studies have recruited adults with a formal diagnosis of muscle dysmorphia (MD), a psychological illness defined by preoccupation that one lacks muscularity and/or leanness, combined with significant functional impairment. This study presented descriptive statistics for a range of clinically relevant questionnaires in one of the largest samples of adults with confirmed diagnoses of MD. Method: We recruited 29 adults who met diagnostic criteria for MD as determined by semi-structured diagnostic interviews and administered a battery of questionnaires assessing MD symptomology, compulsive exercise, and disordered eating. Descriptive statistics were calculated for both total and subscale scores for each questionnaire. Raincloud plots are included to show the distribution of total scores. Results: Of the 29 participants, 26 completed all questionnaires. Mean scores were high across all questionnaires and broadly consistent with results in past studies that also recruited a clinical MD sample. Most participants scored above proposed clinical cut-off scores for questionnaires assessing compulsive exercise and disordered eating. Conclusions: This study adds to the small body of published questionnaire data in clinical MD samples. We stress that questionnaire scores should not be used alone to infer the presence of MD, but could be considered as a useful adjunct to a comprehensive clinical interview.