Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41749983›Full record

ReviewBehavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)2026

The Burden of the Perfect Frame: A Scoping Review on Personality and Muscle Dysmorphia.

Valentina Tavoloni, Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe, Marco Innamorati, Marta Mirabella, Vittorio Lingiardi, Laura Muzi

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Valentina TavoloniDepartment of History, Humanities, and Society, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Mariagrazia Di GiuseppeDepartment of History, Humanities, and Society, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-0373-4523
Marco InnamoratiDepartment of History, Humanities, and Society, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Marta MirabellaDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9720-3781
Vittorio LingiardiDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1298-3935
Laura MuziDepartment of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Piazza Ermini, 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6394-6018

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Research on muscle dysmorphia (MD), currently conceptualized as a clinical specifier for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), is rapidly expanding. Although personality traits and disorders have been proposed as relevant risk factors for the development of BDD, their role in MD remains insufficiently understood. This scoping review aims to synthesize the existing empirical literature on the associations between MD and personality, while identifying key research gaps and clinical challenges. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across PsycArticles, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar between 1 October and 1 December 2024. A total of 15 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Findings highlight the significant contribution of narcissism, neuroticism, and perfectionism to the development and severity of MD. In particular, traits associated with vulnerable narcissism consistently emerged as predictors of MD symptomatology. Sociocultural factors-such as the competitive environment of elite sports and early relational experiences-were also found to interact with personality-based vulnerabilities in shaping the onset and clinical expression of MD. However, most available studies relied on self-report measures, cross-sectional designs, and convenience samples predominantly composed of men, limiting the generalizability of the results. Despite these methodological limitations, this review emphasizes the importance of identifying personality-based vulnerabilities to enhance the understanding of MD and inform the development of person-centered prevention and intervention strategies.

Indexed as

bigorexiabody imagemuscle dysmorphiamuscularitypersonalityrisk factors

Identifiers

PMID41749983
PMCPMC12937781

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.