Psychological evaluation of Asian female patients with rhinoplasty

Patients requiring plastic surgery exhibit more abnormal psychological trends (e.g., body dysmorphic disorder [BDD], depression, and anxiety) than those requiring other surgeries. However, there are only a few domestic studies on the psychological aspects of the population requiring plastic surgery. Therefore, we analyzed the psychological characteristics and psychological impact of rhinoplasty in female patients.

In this study, patients were classified into 2 groups: 151 males and 60 females. The self-rating scale of body image (SSBI), self-rating anxiety scale, self-rating depression scale, and postoperative satisfaction questionnaire were used to examine the patients before and after surgery. The results were analyzed using t-test, analysis of variance, chi-square test, paired rank sum test, and Pearson correlation analysis.

The total prevalence of BDD in female patients who underwent rhinoplasty was 7.3%. The prevalence of anxiety disorders was 31.8% and that of depression was 45.0%. Female patients with BDD were more likely to exhibit depression (55.5%) and anxiety (36.4%). The SSBI score was related to marital status (p = 0.001) and history of rhinoplasty (p = 0.000). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between preoperative BDD score and postoperative satisfaction (r = -0.392, p = 0.002) as well as between the previous history of rhinoplasty and postoperative satisfaction (r = -0.603, p = 0.000).

Pathological psychologies such as anxiety, depression, and BDD are common in patients scheduled to undergo rhinoplasty, and BDD is more likely to be associated with depression. Rhinoplasty has little psychological impact on patients, i.e., it neither causes improvement nor deterioration. Female patients who have undergone rhinoplasty should be considered to a have high risk of BDD. Although the outcomes of surgery are generally quite positive, patients diagnosed with BDD are more likely to be dissatisfied.