Iman Tahanur
Tammy Hughes
Marqueena Dunn
Tiara Jones
Cultural Factors
The Fear of Aging
wrinkled and sagging skin, age spots, graying hair, hair
loss, loss of teeth, and weight gain are all signs of aging
“can prove very depressing and many people find it hard
to see themselves in a positive light when they see a
wrinkled face and a sagging body looking back in the
mirror… there is a social stigma around the effects of the
natural ageing process, and this can lead to very low
self-esteem and the classic signs of body dysmorphic
disorder"
Descriptions of the
Problems/Challenges
• Many body dysmorphic disorder sufferers find it almost impossible not to
think about their supposed flaws and on average spend 3 to 8 hours a day
obsessing, with over a quarter of BDD patients spending over 8 hours a
day.
• Weight has been found to be the most common concern among women of
all ages.
• Liechty (2012) conducted a study on body image in older women
between the ages of 60-70, and found that most felt a desire for thinness
and a desire for change on some aspect of their physical appearance, but
yet still expressed an overall satisfaction with their bodies.
• Mildred, who is an 80 year-old women, suffered from BDD for almost 70
years.
Resulting Consequences
• BDD patients perform repetitive, compulsive
behaviors, which patients state to be time-consuming,
uncontrollable, and difficult to resist.
• Many BDD patients go as far as to receive cosmetic
surgery to correct their perceived flaws.
• 78%-81% of BDD patients have thoughts of
committing suicide, while 24%-28% actually attempt
to commit suicide.
• The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
claims that there were 84,685 surgical procedures
among patients age 65 and older.
Family Issues
• 20% of people with BDD have an immediate family
member with it also.
• It is not known whether BDD is inherited or learned
from family members. This could suggest that both
genetics and environmental factors is both necessary
to develop BDD.
• Research suggests that coming from troubling
backgrounds and traumatic childhoods can cause
feelings of being insecure, lonely, and unloved which
can lead to BDD.
Biological Factors
• Elevated risk for Body Dysmorphic Disorder in first
degree relatives of individuals with Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder
• Research predicts that Body Dysmorphic Disorder results
from abnormal brain network organization
• Biological changes that take place in late adulthood can
contribute to feelings of body dissatisfaction
•
Could changes in the size/structure of the brain
potentially contribute to BDD in late adulthood?
Psychological Factors
• DSM-5 has four diagnostic criteria; BDD symptoms cannot
simultaneously meet criteria for eating disorders but the
appearance concern must produce repetitive behaviors and
clinically significant distress
•
Some research classifies Body Dysmorphic Disorder as an OCD
spectrum disorder
• Current research does not directly address BDD in late adults but
instead focuses on “body dissatisfaction”
•
Protective factors against BDD and body dissatisfaction include
cognitive control, acceptance of aging, and the diminished
importance of physical appearance
Social Factors
 Body dissatisfaction crosses the lifespan but older
adults are less likely to let it negatively affect their
self- worth.
Older adults have a desire to be physically attractive
are less likely to hinder their health
Comparing their bodies to others can influence selfperception
Women are viewed more negatively when they age in
comparison to men
Ethical Considerations & Issues
 Older adults need to be monitored closely for
signs of self-objectification, appearance anxiety,
low self-esteem, and disordered eating.
 Practitioners need to be mindful of how a
person’s culture may affect their perceptions on
body image.
 Practitioners need to advise and inform older
adults on potentially harmful practices while
working with them in order to find solutions.
Socio- Cultural Theory
Sociocultural theory suggests that an individual's
mental functioning is related to cultural, institutional,
and historical context.
 As a result an older person's community in which
they grow up can effect how they perceive beauty
and themselves visually.
Erikson's Psychosocial
Development Theory
“…people still move on to the next stage, but they will
probably face problems due to the unresolved crises
experienced at earlier stages. According to Erikson, we can
reach the end of our lives without having fully resolved
crises from earlier stages of development”
(Rogers, 2013,
p. 88).
Our Conclusion...
• Final Thoughts
• Recommendations
• Take Away Messages