Aesthetic practitioner Dr Yusra Al-Mukhtar, psychiatrist Dr Hassan Yasin and clinical psychologist Dr Lyndsey Hampson have debuted the Appearance Anxiety Questionnaire (AAQ).
They explain that the AAQ has been introduced at Dr Yusra Clinic for clinical assessment of patients’ mental health in relation to self-perception and appearance anxiety. It draws upon cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) theories to provide patients with more personalised support.
Dr Al-Mukhtar commented, “Recognising the importance of accurately assessing patient motivations, we developed the AAQ. This comprehensive tool allows clinicians to screen for key domains of appearance-related anxiety, including social anxiety, self-esteem issues, preoccupation with specific physical features and overall body image distress. The AAQ also incorporates an essential screen for BDD, ensuring that clinicians can identify potential cases that require more specialised psychological assessment.”
