Body Image and Dysmorphia in Men: Raising Awareness 

Presenter: Jack Luskin

Faculty Sponsor: Carolyn Crotty Guttilla

School: Massachusetts Bay Community College

Research Area: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Session: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM, Auditorium, A81

ABSTRACT

Increasingly, people are aware of body image issues, and many even know the connection between body image issues and diagnoses of body dysmorphia. In fact, currently “2 to 3% of the population are suffering from a type of body dysmorphic disorder” (Phillips, 2021), which is about 156 million people worldwide. However, getting a diagnosis requires a medical examination, which is hard to acquire (and thus prevent treatment) if those affected aren’t willing to even get to the medical examination stage. The purpose of this poster is to raise awareness for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and body image issues specifically for men because “a study found that 40-70% of men with BDD had contemplated suicide, and nearly 25% had attempted suicide” (Alston 2020). Muscle dysmorphia being a subcategory of BDD is most common in men due to symptoms and men’s behavior with BDD. Media showing the “ideal” masculine body type has deepened symptoms and created more barriers for treatment. From a collection of sources such as journal articles, newspaper, media, and national associations within psychology, the data presented will serve as a call for improved emotional support for men and highlight the need to educate them that it’s not unmasculine to decide they need help or talk about these issues within mental health.  

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