Project: Self-test on Appearance Concerns (BDDGLOBAL)1. Name and Address of the Responsible PartyThe responsible party within the meaning of the EU General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR) and other national data protection laws of the member states, as well as other data
protection regulations, is:
University of Münster,
represented by the Rector, Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels,
Schlossplatz 2, 48149 Münster
Phone: +49 251 83-0
Email: verwaltung@uni-muenster.de
For content-related questions about the project, please contact the academic contact person
directly:
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Buhlmann
Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
University of Münster
Fliednerstr. 21
48149 Münster
Phone: +49 251 83-34111
Email: bddglobal@uni-muenster.de
2. Contact Information of the Data Protection OfficerYou can reach the data protection officer of the responsible party at:
Data Protection Department
Schlossplatz 2, 48149 Münster
Phone: +49 251 83-22446
Email: datenschutz@uni-muenster.de
3. Data Processing within the Project "Self-test on Appearance Concerns (BDDGLOBAL)"
a) Scope of Data ProcessingWithin the framework of the project " Self-test on Appearance Concerns (BDDGLOBAL)", we
process the following data from you:
(1) Age
(2) Sex
(3) Ethnical Background
(4) Mother tongue
(5) Marital status
(6) Presence of children
(7) Country of origin
(8) Country of current residence
(9) Highest level of education completed
(10) Current occupation
(11) Appearance-related concerns in different body areas (hair, ears, nose, eyes, skin,
mouth, breasts, hands, genitals, muscle size/shape, other body areas), beliefs and behaviors
(12) Effects of appearance concerns on work, study, or training; leisure time; social contacts;
overall well-being; household duties; health and health behavior
(13) Body weight
(14) Body height
(15) Depressive symptoms
(16) Suicidal thoughts
(17) Eating habits
(18) Life satisfaction
(19) Illness Perception
(20) Previous psychiatric diagnoses (BDD and eating disorders)
(21) Current and past psychotherapeutic treatment
(22) Current and past psychopharmacological treatment
(23) Current health care insurance status
b) Purposes of Data Processing
3.1 Research ProjectThe processing of your personal data serves to carry out the project "Self-test on
Appearance Concerns (BDDGLOBAL)". We are investigating body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
to continuously improve diagnosis and treatment. Particular interest lies in the current
situation of those affected. Therefore, we would like to ask about your previous experiences
with existing concerns about your appearance on the next pages. The survey consists of self-
assessment questionnaires, which may be burdensome for you. In this context, we would
like to draw your attention to your right to withdraw from the survey at any time. You can
also find help offers for psychological distress and suicidal thoughts after completing or
withdrawing from the survey.
3.2 ProcedureThe following questionnaires are used in clinical psychology practice and research. You have
the opportunity to test yourself in the following areas:
- Concerns about appearance that may indicate body dysmorphic disorder (strong preoccupation with one or more perceived flaws in external appearance that are not or less visible to others)
- Possible effects on mood and potential suicidal thoughts associated with them. Based on these questionnaires, it is possible to provide you with an assessment of your responses in the above-mentioned areas. You will receive an individualized feedback based on automated calculations. For this purpose, it is essential that you answer the questions honestly and completely. The processing takes approximately 20 minutes. Participation in the self-test is voluntary, and you can pause or cancel it at any time without giving reasons and without suffering any disadvantages. Consent to participate in the self-test is given by actively clicking on the consent button, ensuring that the self-test cannot be started without consent.
3.3 Data ProcessingThe above-mentioned personal data will be used both to provide you with subsequent
feedback on your responses and to ensure that you receive information about body
dysmorphic disorder and other mental health conditions, such as eating disorders,
depression, and suicidal symptoms, and are made aware of corresponding support services.
Your responses will be stored anonymously, making it impossible to identify you. We do not
store your IP address or use cookies. The self-test is conducted using an online survey tool
called Unipark. You can find the FAQs and data protection information for Unipark at the
following link: https://www.unipark.com/. At the end of the self-test, we will ask again if you
agree to allow your data to be used for scientific purposes. After completing the data
collection, the digital data will be deleted from the Unipark server. The data will be used
anonymously for scientific purposes only (e.g., scientific reports, research projects by
students). To comply with recommendations by the World Health Organization and the
American Psychological Association, we aim to make the anonymous data set publicly
available on https://osf.io/ upon completing data collection.
c) Legal Basis for Processing Personal DataThe legal basis for processing your personal data by the University of Münster is your
consent, Article 6(1)(a) and, if applicable, Article 9(2)(a) GDPR.
d) Further Recipients of Your Personal DataYour personal data mentioned above will be passed on to the following recipients within and
outside the University of Münster:
Recipients within the University of Münster:
• Scientific staff members at the Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
University of Münster
Fliednerstr. 21
48149 Münster
Recipients outside the University of Münster:
• The public may be a recipient through scientific publications, without being able to infer your
personal data/person.
e) Duration of Storage of Personal Data
Your anonymous personal data mentioned above will be stored for as long as they are
needed for the implementation of the project "Self-test on Appearance Concerns
(BDDGLOBAL)", but at least for 10 years after publication.
Your Rights as a ParticipantYou have the right to access your personal data processed by the University of Münster
(Article 15 GDPR), the right to rectification of your personal data (Article 16 GDPR), the right
to erasure (Article 17 GDPR), the right to restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR), and the
right to revoke your consent (Article 7(3) GDPR).
You can declare your revocation in writing or by email to all the offices mentioned under
points 1 and 2 (see above) of this data protection declaration.
However, since the online survey is conducted anonymously, the data cannot be deleted
upon request. Participants can terminate their participation at any time. Furthermore, their
responses will only be used if they confirm again by mouse click at the end of the survey that
they agree to their data being used for scientific purposes. In this case, it is not possible to
infer personal data. Data sets without this second consent at the end of the online survey
will be deleted.
Additionally, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, such as
the North Rhine-Westphalia Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information,
Postfach 20 04 44, 40102 Düsseldorf, Phone: 0211/38424-0, Email: poststelle@ldi.nrw.de
Declaration of ConsentProject: Self-test on Appearance Concerns (BDDGLOBAL)
By giving your consent, you declare that the University of Münster may collect and further
process your personal data mentioned above under point 3(a) for the purposes stated under
point 3(b).
You have the right to terminate the self-test at any time. The data collected up to that point
cannot be assigned to you and will be deleted immediately. Until termination, the
anonymous data processing will not be affected.
By consenting to this declaration, you acknowledge the following:
"I have taken note of the data protection declaration for the project 'Self-test on Appearance
Concerns (BDDGLOBAL)'. I hereby voluntarily consent to the collection and processing of my
personal data as described therein. I have been informed about the scope and purpose of
the data collection and processing, as well as my right to revoke my consent."