Psychiatric Disorders in Aesthetic Surgery: A Prospective Study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Psychiatric disorders are prevalent in patients seeking aesthetic surgery.
• Standardized preoperative psychological assessments are currently lacking.
• Undiagnosed conditions can negatively impact postoperative satisfaction and mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in aesthetic surgery candidates.
• To assess the effectiveness of standardized psychological screening tools.
• To determine the correlation between mental health conditions and patient characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Prospective multicentric study involving 75 patients across three Belgian hospitals.
• Preoperative psychological evaluation using Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), MMPI, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and PCL-S.
• Fisher's exact test used for statistical analysis of associations.

Main Results:

• Over 51.9% of patients reported a psychiatric disorder, with only 29.9% having a formal diagnosis.
• Depression (38.7%) and anxiety (32%) were the most common conditions.
• Screening identified high rates of depressive symptoms (57.3%), PTSD (41.3%), and suicidal ideation (34.7%).

Conclusions:

• Mental health issues are often overlooked in aesthetic surgery candidates.
• Failure to identify these conditions preoperatively can compromise surgical outcomes and patient resilience.
• Enhanced collaboration between surgeons and mental health professionals is vital for comprehensive patient care.