Overview
- This week the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published draft guidance urging clinicians who provide cosmetic treatments to use structured questions to screen for obsessive‑compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder and to refer suspected cases to mental health specialists.
- The guidance instructs that if BDD is likely clinicians should not perform the cosmetic procedure because the treatment may reinforce or worsen BDD symptoms.
- NICE highlights risk groups and comorbidity by asking clinicians to take extra care assessing people with signs of depression, anxiety, autism or ADHD for possible OCD or BDD before cosmetic work proceeds.
- The draft cites prevalence estimates of about 1.2% for OCD and about 2% for BDD, and the proposals are open for public consultation until October 21, 2026 with implementation by NHS and private clinics pending finalisation.
- If adopted, the guidance could change clinic workflows, increase referrals into specialist mental health services, and aim to reduce harm from unnecessary procedures while confronting stigma that often stops patients from reporting intrusive appearance‑related thoughts.