Relationship between body image, depression, and alexithymia in muscle dysmorphia: systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v77.109354Keywords:
Muscle dysmorphia, Dissatisfaction with body image, Depression, Alexithymia, WeightliftersAbstract
Introduction. Muscle Dysmorphia (DM) is a disorder characterized by an excessive preoccupation with muscularity, with health consequences and unclear triggers.
Objective: Analyze the relationship between DM, body dissatisfaction (IC), depression (DEP), and alexithymia (AL) in literature.
Method: A systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. Search was conducted in PubMed, Dialnet, Elsevier, ProQuest, and Google Scholar using Boolean operators ("AND"), filtering for articles from the last 10 years.
Results: The 8 included studies showed significant positive correlations between MD and IC (Lin and DeCusati r=.33, p=<.001; r=.53, p=<.001; and Devrin, Bilgic, and Hongu r=0.259, p=<.001). DEP showed differences between groups, with individuals at risk for DM scoring higher (Longobardi et al. 47.83 ±8.25 vs. 57.74 ±12.40, p=<.001, η²=0.17), while AL was a consistent predictor of DM. Effect sizes suggest that IC has the strongest association with DM, followed by AL and DEP (DES β = .46, p=< .001 and PEO β = .31, p=< .001).
Discussion: This systematic review demonstrates the relationship between MD and the psychological variables IC, DEP, and AL.
Conclusions: The onset of DM is influenced by body image dissatisfaction and high levels of alexithymia. Depression is associated with the development and maintenance of the disorder.
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