Standing tall or falling short: A narrative review of height dissatisfaction and psychological outcomes

Abstract

Height is a highly visible and socially significant physical characteristic that influences numerous psychosocial outcomes, yet height dissatisfaction - negative evaluation of one’s own height - remains an underexplored dimension of body image research. Our narrative review synthesizes the current scope of literature on height and height dissatisfaction, highlighting their associations with psychological correlates such as self-esteem, body image concerns, and mental health symptoms including anxiety and depression. Theoretical perspectives from evolutionary psychology and sociocultural frameworks, including the Tripartite Influence Model, were applied to elucidate potential origins and maintenance of height dissatisfaction. While empirical research remains limited, particularly, regarding clinical populations and female height dissatisfaction, emerging findings underscore the complex interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors of height. Recommendations for future research emphasize the need for more comprehensive and validated measures of height dissatisfaction that capture both desires to be taller or shorter, as well as related cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. Our review aims to advance understanding of height dissatisfaction as a unique aspect of body image, with important implications for clinical practice and psychosocial interventions.