Development and Validation of a Measure for Metacognitive Factors in Body Dysmorphic Disorder Patients

Background and Objectives: Recent studies explored the relationships between metacognitive beliefs and body dysmorphic disorder. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate one self-report scale of metacognitive factor about body dysmorphic. Methods: Development of this scale involved three steps: 1) items generated from a qualitative study with lecture and care professionals, 2) expert panel review, and 3) pilot test. A factor analysis of the responses from 600 participants suggested the creation of a 25-item scale. Results: Study showed that scores on the 25-item measure correlated with five theoretically related constructs, including positive and negative metacognitive beliefs about body dysmorphic, thought-fusion and metacognitive control strategies. Convergent validity of Body Dysmorphic Metacognitive Scale (BDMCS) with Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale was modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Thought Fusion Instrument (r = 0.44, r = 0.52, P < 0.001). The factors were able to determine 83.14 percent of the variance. The Cronbach’s alpha for the five factors was above 0.83. Additionally, results have been shown to possess good psychometric properties. Conclusions: The scales may prompt future research into BDD and facilitate clinical assessment and case formulation.