Personality disorders in patients seeking appearance-altering procedures

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Psychological risk assessment (PRA) is vital for patients undergoing elective appearance-altering procedures (AAPs).
• Established risk factors for adverse psychological outcomes include personality disorders.
• Limited literature exists on PRA for AAPs, necessitating further research and clinical guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide background on psychological risk factors associated with personality disorders in patients seeking AAPs.
• To introduce personality disorders to surgeons for improved identification during PRA.
• To enhance surgeon preparedness in managing patients with potential psychological comorbidities.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on psychological risk factors in AAPs.
• Overview of personality disorder characteristics relevant to surgical screening.
• Educational content tailored for surgical professionals.

Main Results:

• Personality disorders are significant risk factors for negative psychological outcomes post-AAPs.
• Understanding personality disorder traits can improve PRA accuracy.
• Surgeons can be better equipped to identify and manage these risks with targeted education.

Conclusions:

• Effective PRA for AAPs must consider personality disorders.
• Education on personality disorders can enhance surgeons' ability to conduct thorough psychological risk assessments.
• Improved screening can lead to better patient selection and outcomes in AAPs.