Understanding and treating body dysmorphic disorder.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental disorder that involves a distressing preoccupation with a perceived defect in physical appearance, associated with excessive or repetitive behaviours or mental acts aimed at camouflaging, checking or 'improving' the perceived area of concern. BDD is relatively common, affecting at least 2% of the population world-wide, yet is poorly understood. Professor Susan Rossell has produced a substantial body of influential research, which has improved our understanding of BDD. This includes a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenology, neurocognition and neurobiology, as well as significant treatment advances. This work will be reviewed in this commentary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]