Our Program's Free Treatment Studies and Other BDD Studies
Here at the BDD and Body Image Program at Butler Hospital, which is affiliated with Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, we conduct research studies to learn more about the characteristics and treatment of body dysmorphic disorder. Our studies are sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the FDA, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and an unrestricted research grant from UCB Pharma. In addition, Forest Pharmaceuticals is providing study medication for a study that’s sponsored and funded by the NIMH.
We collaborate on several research studies with researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and at Mount Sinai Medical School. So if you live within driving distance of our program in Providence, Rhode Island, or within driving distance of Boston, Massachusetts or New York City, participating in one of our studies may be an option for you.
An Overview of What We Offer
- We are offering free study treatment for people who have problematic concerns about their appearance (body dysmorphic disorder) and who further qualify for our treatment program. We offer treatment studies for:
- Children and adolescents (age 16 and under)
- Adults (ages 18–65)
- Eligible participants must be within driving distance (about an hour) of Providence, RI.
- We also have research collaborators located in Boston, MA (for the adult studies, call 617-643-3079) and New York, NY (for the adolescent study, call 212-241-3116).
- People who participate in our studies make it possible for us to learn more about BDD, develop better treatments, and improve quality of life for people with BDD.
If You Are Interested in Participating….
1) We will first speak with you by phone to ask you some questions about your body image concerns (for contact information, refer to study details below). All information you provide is confidential.
2) If you appear to qualify for our treatment program, we will meet with you in person to better understand your appearance concerns. We will ask you more about your appearance concerns and other problems (psychological or medical) you may have. We will give you feedback on your problems, answer your questions, and make treatment recommendations.
3) If you qualify for any of our treatment studies, we will discuss the options with you and see if you are interested in participating. If so, we will obtain your consent to participate in that study and then provide you with free study treatment for 3 to 10 months, depending on which study you participate in.
Please click on the links below for brief descriptions of the studies:
Escitalopram (Lexapro) Medication Study for Adults
Why are we doing this study?
- Available medical research suggests that escitalopram (Lexapro) is often effective for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). It is currently considered a first-choice treatment for BDD.
- In this study, we are assessing how people who initially improve after 14 weeks of treatment with Lexapro do when Lexapro is either discontinued or continued for another 6 months. This is a very important question that patients and doctors often ask and which this study will help to answer.
What is Escitalopram?
Escitalopram (Lexapro) is a marketed medication that’s used to treat depression and other disorders. Lexapro also often helps decrease obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, anxiety, and social anxiety. Lexapro and other similar medications have been shown to be effective for a majority of people who have Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
Who qualifies?
Adults (ages 18-65) who:
- Have body dysmorphic disorder
- Live within driving distance of Providence, RI or Boston(Massachusetts General Hospital, our other study site)
- Meet further qualifications for this study
What will it entail for me?
- The study consists of 2 phases:
- Phase 1: After an initial evaluation, you will receive Lexapro for 14 weeks. Each study visit will take about 45 minutes a week for the first month and about 45 minutes every other week for the rest of the 14 weeks.
- Phase 2: If you improve sufficiently in Phase 1, you will continue to Phase 2. In Phase 2, you will either continue taking Lexapro for another six months or you will be switched to placebo (“sugar pill”). You will be assigned to one of these groups “randomly,” and neither you nor the study researchers will know whether you are continuing on Lexapro or placebo. Study evaluations during Phase 2 will take about 45 minute each and occur every other week.
- At each study visit, we will ask you questions about your symptoms and how you are tolerating the medication. We will very carefully monitor you and your symptoms.
- During Phase 2, if your BDD symptoms return, you will be referred to another doctor for continued treatment. She will provide you with free treatment for three more months.
- All study visits will be free of charge. You will be paid $25 for each visit during Phase 2, with exception to the final visit for which you will be paid $50.
- By participating in this study, you will receive a free evaluation, free treatment with Lexapro from experts in BDD, and careful monitoring of your body image concerns and symptoms. Your participation will be of benefit to others, as it will contribute to efforts to learn more about the treatment of BDD which is a distressing and understudied disorder.
Who do I contact for more information?
• If you are interested in the possibility of a free evaluation and free study treatment, and live within driving distance of our program in Providence, RI (about 50 minutes south of Boston), please contact our staff at the BDD and Body Image Program, Butler Hospital 401-455-6466.
• If you live closer to Boston, Massachusetts, please call our collaborators (Dr. Sabine Wilhelm) at Massachusetts General Hospital at 617-726-5374, or visit their website. Massachusetts General Hospital is also part of this study and is offering free evaluation and study treatment for adults with BDD who qualify.
Medication Study for Children and Adolescents
Why are we doing this study?
Available medical research indicates that fluoxetine (Prozac) is often effective for BDD in adults. We are studying its effectiveness for children and adolescents with BDD.
What is Fluoxetine (Prozac)?
- Fluoxetine (Prozac) is a marketed medication, a serotonin-reuptake inhibitor, which is approved for the treatment of depression in children and adolescents.
- Serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SRIs or SSRIs), appear effective for a majority of adults with BDD (see a more complete description of SRIs above, in the section on Treatments for BDD). With fluoxetine treatment, appearance-related preoccupations and behaviors (such as mirror checking) often diminish, and depression, anxiety, and functioning often improve. BDD symptoms may diminish partially for some people and nearly completely for others. Much more research has been done in adults than in adolescents, and we are conducting this study to evaluate the effectiveness of fluoxetine for older children and adolescents.
- Symptoms often diminish partially but may resolve completely.
Who qualifies?
Children and adolescents who:
- Have body dysmorphic disorder
- Live within driving distance of our program in Providence, RI or our research collaborators in New York City (see the bottom of this page for contact information)
- Meet further qualifications for this study
The Adolescent BDDQ screens for the presence of BDD. meaning that it can suggest that BDD is present, but can't necessarily give a definitive diagnosis. The diagnosis is ideally determined by a trained clinician in a face-to-face interview.
What does the study consist of?
- After an initial screening assessment, you will receive treatment with the medication fluoxetine (Prozac) or placebo (a “sugar pill”).
- You will receive the medication for 13 weeks. During that time you will meet with the study psychiatrist every week for the first 6 weeks and every other week thereafter. Each study visit will last about 45 minutes. At these visits, you will be asked questions about the severity of your body image concerns and certain other psychiatric symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. You will be very carefully monitored to see how you are doing with the study treatment.
- At the end of the study treatment phase, you will be offered 3 months of additional treatment (not part of the study) at no cost with a study psychiatrist.
- All study visits will be free of charge. You will be compensated for your time and travel during study participation. Total reimbursement for all completed study visits is $275.
- By participating in this study, you will receive a free evaluation, free study treatment from BDD experts, and careful monitoring of your body image concerns and symptoms. Your participation will be of benefit to others, as it will contribute to the effort to learn more about the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, which is a distressing and understudied to disorder.
Who do I contact for more information?
- If you are interested in the possibility of a free evaluation and free study treatment, and live within driving distance of our program in Providence, RI (about 50 minutes south of Boston), please contact our staff at the BDD and Body Image Program, Butler Hospital 401-455-6466.
- If you live in the New York City area, please call our research colleagues (Dr. Eric Hollander) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine at (212) 241-3116, or visit their website. Mt. Sinai is also part of this study and offering free evaluation and study treatment for children and adolescents with BDD who qualify.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Study
Why IPT?
- We are assessing the effectiveness of interpersonal psychotherapy for people with BDD. Many patients report having problems in their relationships, thus IPT may be a promising treatment for BDD.
- IPT has shown long-term efficacy for other related disorders, such as Major Depressive Disorder, Eating Disorders and some anxiety disorders.
What study treatment are we offering?
- We are offering free interpersonal psychotherapy study treatment for adults (ages 18 to 65) who have excessive concerns about their appearance (body dysmorphic disorder) and who further qualify for our treatment program.
- The study is available to those who live within driving distance of Providence, Rhode Island (See the bottom of this page for contact information).
- This study is sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
What does the study consist of?
Qualifying participants will receive free study treatment for approximately 5-6 months; each session is approximately one hour provided by a licensed clinical psychologist. Some goals of IPT are:
- To help people develop a greater understanding of the possible connection between appearance concerns and problems in social relationships.
- To help people modify their communication patterns and/or expectations about relationships.
- To assist patients in making life transitions that may play a role in maintaining their appearance concerns. For example, entering college, aging, starting a new job, having a baby, etc.
- To help people develop and use social supports more effectively
During an IPT session for example, some of the potential areas that may be worked on include: decreasing sensitivity to comments, reducing fears of rejection, reducing avoidance of social relationships, and improving the quality and amount of social interactions.
You and your therapist may also work on identifying and evaluating negative thoughts and beliefs you have about your appearance as well as teaching you skills to resist performing excessive, repetitive BDD behaviors, such as mirror checking, excessive grooming, and reassurance seeking.
The evaluation and study treatment are provided free of charge. There are also assessments every month during the treatment, and one and three months after the study treatment ends. Participants will be paid $25 for each of these assessments.
Who do I contact for more information?
If you are interested in the possibility of a free evaluation and free study treatment, and live within driving distance of Providence, RI (about 50 minutes south of Boston), please contact our staff at the BDD and Body Image Program, Butler Hospital 401-455-6466.
Interview Study
This study is ongoing but is not currently open to new participants.
What is the Purpose of This Study?
Here are some of the important questions the study is addressing. Most of these questions have never been studied before:
- What happens to BDD symptoms over time (for example, do the symptoms get better or worse?).
- What factors seem to determine whether BDD symptoms improve or worsen?
- What kinds of treatment do people with BDD receive?
- Do these treatments seem to affect whether people with BDD get better?
- How does BDD affect people's lives (for example, daily functioning and quality of life)?
- How common is suicidality in people with BDD, and what are the characteristics and frequency of suicidallity in people with this disorder?
What Does the Study Consist Of?
- We interview study participants once a year. During the interview, we ask questions about such things as body image and other symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). Participants also fill out several questionnaires. All information provided is kept confidential. No treatment is provided as part of this study.
- Participants receive monetary compensation for the time they take to do the interview
What We Have Learned So Far….
This study has enabled us to learn many important things about BDD. For example, we have learned more about the characteristics of BDD, how BDD in adolescents differs from BDD in adults, how males and females with BDD differ, depression and social anxiety in BDD, functioning and quality of life, suicidal thinking, and how people with BDD do over time. We have published a number of articles in scientific journals that report our findings from this study; please click on the following link for a listing of some of our publications on BDD, which include these articles).
Additional articles have been accepted for publication and should be published soon. In the future, we plan to publish many additional reports from this study in scientific, as we continue to analyze our data and write up our results for publication. We are very grateful to all of the study participants, who have been very generous with their time and have greatly contributed to understanding of BDD and its effect on people's lives.
