Evaluation of Mental Body Image in Dummy Paintings in Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Healthy Individuals

Body dysmorphic disorder falls under the category of obsessive-compulsive and is characterized by an excessive preoccupation with body, including too much attention to the organs and body parts which leads to confusion. The aim of this research was to determine body image disturbances in the paintings of obsessive compulsive disorder patients and comparing the results with healthy persons.
This was a cross sectional-descriptive study. Two groups which included 30 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients and 30 healthy individuals were analyzed. These two groups were assimilated by some characterization such as: sex, age, marriage and job. The paintings were graded by Goodenough-Harris Drawing scale. Data were coded and entered into the computer program. The results were analyzed by descriptive and Chi-squared statistical testing.
The results showed that the OCD patients group’s drawings were statistically different in Draw-a-man test from the normal group in: The frequency of removal of the existence of geometric shapes, the details, the unusual sizes and unfitness of the organs.
OCD patients are impaired in body image. By using a non direct assessment and the help of Draw-a-man test which is a projective mechanism, we could detect the problem that the patients cannot express.