A Study on Body Dysmorphia, Appearance Anxiety and Self Compassion among Young Adults

Abstract

Body dysmorphia is a common issue among young adults these days. Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder may also have strong beliefs about the importance of appearance and anticipate negative consequences for not looking attractive. Relatively, appearance anxiety is the preoccupation with one’s physical appearance and a fear of being negatively evaluated by others. When one look into these concepts they may infer that self-compassion which is simply being kind and understanding towards oneself, when experiencing difficulties might be comparatively low among the sample. The research discusses the results of a study conducted on young adults which explored body dysmorphia, appearance anxiety and self-compassion among them. A sample of 35 young adults in the age group of 18-25 years was collected. Standardized scales were used for the measurement. The results found out that individuals who scored more on appearance anxiety scale are more prone to body dysmorphia whereas individuals that scored lesser on appearance anxiety were found to be more compassionate towards themselves. However, the ones who scored more than average on BDD scale were found to be very less self-compassionate. It is important to consider that we need to promote self-compassion and a positive attitude towards self. Certain interventions should be made on a healthy image of self and encourage feelings of self-worth and enhance positive self-regard.