Study links art careers with poor self image

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An occupation or education in art and design may be associated with an increased risk of body dysmorphic disorder, an obsession with imagined or slight imperfections in appearance, preliminary study findings suggest.



However, a mental health expert who was not involved in the study cautioned that the association may not be valid. Further research is needed to confirm the finding.


"This is a very preliminary finding," said lead study author Dr. David Veale, of the Priory Hospital North London in the UK. "It deserves further research to see if it is a true risk factor for the development of body dysmorphic disorder."


However, people who "develop a more critical eye and appreciation of aesthetics" may apply that to their own appearance, Veale and colleagues hypothesize.


Veale and his team studied 100 people with body dysmorphic disorder who visited a private psychiatric hospital. For comparison, the study also included 100 people with major depression, 100 with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 100 with post-traumatic stress disorder.


The investigators found that one in five patients (20%) with body dysmorphic disorder either worked or were educated in some field of art or design, such as graphic design and architecture, they report in the October issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.


In contrast, only 4% of the patients with major depression, 3% of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and none of the patients with post-traumatic stress disorder had similar jobs or educational backgrounds, study findings indicate.


It is not known, however, whether patients with body dysmorphic disorder are more likely to pursue an art- or design-related education or occupation, or if individuals in those fields are more likely to develop the disorder, the authors note.


Other careers have been associated with an increased risk of certain mental health disorders, the researchers point out. Firefighters, for example, are known to be at increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, and ballet dancers are known to have a higher than normal risk of developing an eating disorder.


Commenting on the study, Dr. Kathy HoganBruen, senior director of prevention at the National Mental Health Association in Alexandria, Virginia, said the findings are "interesting." However, she disagrees with the researchers' initial idea that there might be an association between body dysmorphic disorder and an occupation or education in art or design.


"I think the initial premise and hypothesis is flawed...and I think they're making some pretty big leaps" to connect an appreciation of aesthetics with a preoccupation with imagined defects, she said.

Still, "there is important information to be gained from drawing connections between certain mental health conditions and certain careers, especially when we think of preventing mental illness and promoting mental health," HoganBruen said.

Reported by Charnicia E. Huggins

SOURCE: American Journal of Psychiatry 2002;159:1788-1790.