Transdiagnostic Therapy Eases Body Image Worries in Teens, Trial Finds

A randomized clinical trial from Iran, published in Annals of General Psychiatry, reports that a transdiagnostic form of cognitive-behavioral therapy can reduce core symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder in teens who have not yet reached the full diagnostic threshold. Led by Seyedeh Elnaz Mousavi of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, the study focused on 62 adolescents aged 12 to 18 with subclinical BDD, defined using a Clinical Severity Rating of 2 or 3 on the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children. Participants received 12 sessions of Unified Protocol for Adolescents (UP-A) delivered entirely online, in a parallel-group superiority design with a 1:1 allocation. One group received UP-A, while the waitlist control received educational pamphlets after assessments, with evaluations at baseline and post-intervention.