Bigorexia: Identification of Protective and Risk Psychological Factors in Young Adulthood

Introduction: Bigorexia was classified as a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders 5th ed. The sufferer is obsessed with his/her physical appearance and musculature, and resorts to any strategy to achieve an ideal aesthetic model. Objectives: The aim is to identify potential protective or risk factors that may determine or influence the development and maintenance of distress related to perceived body image by analyzing how this discomfort relates to and interacts with general psychological distress, general self-efficacy, perceived social support and problematic social media use. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 1067 individuals of both sexes, females (67.9%) aged 18-29 years, mean 23.68, SD 3.92. Statistical analyses included descriptive analysis of the characteristics of the sample, correlational analysis of the main study variables by estimating Pearson correlation coefficients (p < 0.05). Self-report questionnaires: - Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory: is a 13-item questionnaire divided into three subscales scored on a five-point Likert scale assessing cognitive, behavioral, and emotional characteristics of Muscle Dysmorphic disorder MD; - Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale: consists of 6 items rated on five-point Likert scale to assess the eventual misuse of Social Media MS; - Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - DASS21: is a set of three scales rated on a four-point Likert on a four-point Likert scale designed to measure emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress; - General Self-Efficacy Scale: consists of 10 items on a four-point Likert scale assessing the general sense of perceived self-efficacy; - Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support: consists of 12 items on a 7-point Likert scale designed to measure perceived social support from Family, Friends, and a Significant Other. Results: Data analysis shows a significant positive correlation of MD (mean 2.01, SD .676) with MS (mean 11.13 SD 4.71) p = <.001 r= 401** and with psychological distress (mean 1.28, SD .694) p = <.001 r= 404**, while a negative correlation with social support (5.59, SD 1.06) p = <.001 r= -.327** and general self-efficacy (mean 27.2, SD 5.88) p = <.001 r = -.128**. Conclusions: Research shows that all variables examined interact significantly with MS-related symptomatology. In particular, our data suggest that the risk of developing MS is associated with greater psychological distress and misuse of MS, while higher levels of perceived self-efficacy and social support appear to act as protective factors. References - Tovt, S., & Kajanová, A. (2021). Introduction to bigorexia. Journal of nursing and social sciences related to health and illness, pg, 133-136. - Griffiths, S., & Murray, S. B. (2018). Muscle dysmorphia: Clinical presentation and treatment strategies.