Research of the relationship between body dysmorphic disorder and intolerance of uncertainty grade in Medical Faculty students

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic construct associated with various anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). In our study, medical students were administered the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire (BIDQ) and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 (IUS-12). Students with known psychiatric disorders and physical anomalies were excluded. Based on the BIDQ cutoff score, students were divided into two groups: those with BDD (n=20) and those without (n=461). Sociodemographic data, body mass index (BMI), and levels of intolerance of uncertainty were compared between the two groups. There were no significant differences in age, gender, or BMI between the BDD and non-BDD groups (p>0,05). However, statistically significant differences were found between the BDD and non-BDD groups in the IUS-12 total score (p = 0,018), prospective anxiety subscale (p=0,034), and inhibitory anxiety subscale scores (p=0,015). A positive correlation was observed between BIDQ scores and the total IUS-12 scores (r=0,205, p<0,01). A positive correlation was also observed between BIDQ scores and prospective IU subscale scores (r=0,216, p˂0,01). A weak positive correlation was observed between BIDQ scores and inhibitory IU subscale scores (r=0,166, p˂0,01). The results of our study emphasize the significance of the relationship between BDD and IU.