Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T04:18:46.308Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Predictors of cosmetic surgery and its effects on psychological factors and mental health: a population-based follow-up study among Norwegian females

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2011

T. von Soest ,
I. L. Kvalem  and
L. Wichstrøm
T. von Soest*
Affiliation:
Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), Oslo, Norway Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
I. L. Kvalem
Affiliation:
Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), Oslo, Norway Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
L. Wichstrøm
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
*
*Address for correspondence: T. von Soest, Ph.D., Norwegian Social Research, PO Box 3223 Elisenberg, 0208 Oslo, Norway. (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

There is limited information about psychological predictors of cosmetic surgery and how cosmetic surgery influences subsequent changes in mental health and overall appearance satisfaction. To date, there is a lack of studies examining this issue, whereby representative population samples are assessed at an age before cosmetic surgery is typically conducted and followed up after such surgery has commonly been performed.

Method

We obtained data from a survey study following 1597 adolescent females from a representative Norwegian sample over a 13-year period. Participants provided information on cosmetic surgery, appearance satisfaction, mental health, risky sexual behavior, drug use and conduct problems at two time-points (overall response rate 67%).

Results

Of all participants, 78 (4.9%) reported having undergone cosmetic surgery, of whom 71 were operated on during the course of the study and seven before the first data collection. Symptoms of depression and anxiety [odds ratio (OR) 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–2.57] and a history of deliberate self-harm (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.46–5.68), parasuicide (OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.53–7.08) and illicit drug use (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.07–5.82) predicted prospective cosmetic surgery. Moreover, those who underwent surgery during the course of the study experienced a greater increase than other females in symptoms of depression and anxiety (t=2.07, p=0.04) and eating problems (t=2.71, p<0.01). Patients' use of alcohol also increased more than among non-patients (t=2.47, p=0.01).

Conclusions

A series of mental health symptoms predict cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery does not in turn seem to alleviate such mental health problems.

Keywords

Appearance satisfactionbody imagecosmetic surgerylongitudinalmental health
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 42 , Issue 3 , March 2012 , pp. 617 - 626
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Society of Plastic Surgeons (2010). 2010 Report of the 2009 Statistics National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics. American Society of Plastic Surgeons: Arlington Heights, IL.Google Scholar
Brown, TA, Cash, TF, Lewis, RJ (1989). Body-image disturbances in adolescent female binge-purgers: a brief report of the results of a national survey in the USA. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines 30, 605–613.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cano, SJ, Browne, JP, Lamping, DL (2004). Patient-based measures of outcome in plastic surgery: current approaches and future directions. British Journal of Plastic Surgery 57, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carr, T, Moss, T, Harris, D (2005). The DAS24: a short form of the Derriford Appearance Scale DAS59 to measure individual responses to living with problems of appearance. British Journal of Health Psychology 10, 285–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, LS, Daling, JR, Voigt, LF, deHart, MP, Malone, KE, Stanford, JS, Weiss, NS, Brinton, LA, Gammon, MD, Brogan, D (1997). Characteristics of women with and without breast augmentation. Journal of the American Medical Association 277, 1612–1617.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook, SA, Rosser, R, Salmon, P (2006). Is cosmetic surgery an effective psychotherapeutic intervention? A systematic review of the evidence. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery 59, 1133–1151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Derogatis, LR, Lipman, RS, Rickels, K, Uhlenhuth, EH, Covi, L (1974). The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL): a self-report symptom inventory. Behavioral Science 19, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Didie, ER, Sarwer, DB (2003). Factors that influence the decision to undergo cosmetic breast augmentation surgery. Journal of Women's Health 12, 241–253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garner, DM, Olmsted, MP, Bohr, Y, Garfinkel, PE (1982). The Eating Attitudes Test: psychometric features and clinical correlates. Psychological Medicine 12, 871–878.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harter, S (1988). Manual for the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. University of Denver: Denver, CO.Google Scholar
Ishigooka, J, Iwao, M, Suzuki, M, Fukuyama, Y, Murasaki, M, Miura, S (1998). Demographic features of patients seeking cosmetic surgery. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 52, 283–287.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacobsen, PH, Holmich, LR, McLaughlin, JK, Johansen, C, Olsen, JH, Kjoller, K, Friis, S (2004). Mortality and suicide among Danish women with cosmetic breast implants. Archives of Internal Medicine 164, 2450–2455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Javo, IM, Sørlie, T (2009). Psychosocial predictors of an interest in cosmetic surgery among young Norwegian women: a population-based study. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 124, 2142–2148.Google ScholarPubMed
Koopmans, GT, Donker, MCH, Rutten, FHH (2005). Common mental disorders and use of general health services: a review of the literature on population-based studies. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 111, 341–350.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lavik, NJ, Clausen, SE, Pedersen, W (1991). Eating behaviour, drug use, psychopathology and parental bonding in adolescents in Norway. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 84, 387–390.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moss, TP, Harris, DL (2009). Psychological change after aesthetic plastic surgery: a prospective controlled outcome study. Psychology, Health and Medicine 14, 567–572.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, D, Beckstrand, M, Sarwer, DB (2009). A prospective, multi-center study of psychosocial outcomes after augmentation with Natrelle silicone-filled breast implants. Annals of Plastic Surgery 62, 118–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nahai, F (2009). Minimizing risk in aesthetic surgery. Clinical Risk 15, 232–236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olweus, D (1989). Prevalence and incidence in the study of antisocial behavior: definitions and measurements. In Cross-National Research in Self-Reported Crime and Delinquency (ed. Klein, M. W.), pp. 187–201. Kluwer: Dordrecht.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pertschuk, MJ, Sarwer, DB, Wadden, TA, Whitaker, LA (1998). Body image dissatisfaction in male cosmetic surgery patients. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 22, 20–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarwer, DB, Brown, GK, Evans, DL (2007). Cosmetic breast augmentation and suicide. American Journal of Psychiatry 164, 1006–1013.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarwer, DB, Cash, TF, Magee, L, Williams, EF, Thompson, JK, Roehrig, M, Tantleff-Dunn, S, Agliata, AK, Wilfley, DE, Amidon, AD, Anderson, DA, Romanofski, M (2005). Female college students and cosmetic surgery: an investigation of experiences, attitudes, and body image. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 115, 931–938.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarwer, DB, Infield, AL, Baker, JL, Casas, LA, Glat, PM, Gold, AH, Jewell, ML, LaRossa, D, Nahai, F, Young, VL (2008). Two-year results of a prospective, multi-site investigation of patient satisfaction and psychosoical status following cosmetic surgery. Aesthetic Surgery Journal 28, 245–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarwer, DB, Wadden, TA, Pertschuk, MJ, Whitaker, LA (1998). Body image dissatisfaction and body dysmorphic disorder in 100 cosmetic surgery patients. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 101, 1644–1649.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarwer, DB, Zanville, HA, LaRossa, D, Bartlett, SP, Chang, B, Low, DW, Whitaker, LA (2004). Mental health histories and psychiatric medication usage among persons who sought cosmetic surgery. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 114, 1927–1933.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schofield, M, Hussain, R, Loxton, D, Miller, Z (2002). Psychosocial and health behavioural covariates of cosmetic surgery: Women's Health Australia Study. Journal of Health Psychology 7, 445–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
von Soest, T, Kvalem, IL, Skolleborg, KC, Roald, HE (2006). Psychosocial factors predicting the motivation to undergo cosmetic surgery. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 117, 51–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
von Soest, T, Kvalem, IL, Skolleborg, KC, Roald, HE (in press). Psychosocial changes after cosmetic surgery: a five year follow-up study. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.Google Scholar
von Soest, T, Wichstrøm, L (2008). The impact of becoming a mother on eating problems. International Journal of Eating Disorders 41, 215–223.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wichstrøm, L (1995). Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents: reliability, validity, and evaluation of the question format. Journal of Personality Assessment 65, 100–116.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Windle, M (1990). A longitudinal study of antisocial behaviors in early adolescence as predictors of late adolescent substance use: gender and ethnic group differences. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 99, 86–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed