A Cross-Sectional Study on Body Image Concerns Among Patients with Depressive Illness and Elevated Body Mass Index from the Psychiatry Outpatient Department, Islamabad

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency and severity of body image concerns among adult patients with
depressive disorder and raised BMI attending a Psychiatry Outpatient Department.
Study Design: A cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Psychiatry Outpatient Department, KRL Hospital,
Islamabad, Pakistan, from 22nd May 2025 to 22nd August 2025.
Methods: 100 adult patients (18–60 years) with Body Mass Index ≥25 kg/m² and a clinical diagnosis of depressive disorder were enrolled using convenience sampling from the Psychiatry Out Patient Department of Khan Research Laboratories, KRL Hospital, Islamabad. We used the Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I) to assess the severity of depression. Body image concerns were assessed using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-16B). Descriptive statistics were computed, and non-parametric tests were used to assess the associations between body image concerns and various effect modifiers, i.e., age, gender, marital status, BMI, and BDI scores.
Results: Of 100 participants, 83% were female. Mean age was 38.3 ± 13.4 years, and mean BMI was 32.2 ± 5.6 kg/m². 63% of people reported having body image concerns overall. BSQ categories showed 20% mild, 22% moderate, and 21% marked concerns. Gender or BMI categories did not significantly influence body image concerns, but there was a significant trend with depression severity and marital status. Body Shape Questionnaire scores correlated with BDI scores (Ρ = 0.222, P = 0.026). Age had a significant negative correlation with BSQ scores (Ρ = –0.353, P-value < 0.01).
Conclusion: Body image concerns were common among depressed adults with raised BMI in this OPD cohort
and showed a weak, non-significant positive relationship with Body Shape Questionnaire Scores, indicating
that BMI alone was not a strong predictor of body image concerns.

How to cite this: Aftab K, Hasanat AM, Zahid S, Fatima A, Shah R. A Cross-Sectional Study on Body Image Concerns Among Patients with Depressive Illness and Elevated Body Mass Index from the Psychiatry Outpatient Department, Islamabad. Life and Science. 2026; 7(1): 25-32. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.1015