Psychopathological aspects of appearance dissatisfaction in aesthetic medicine

Abstract

Introduction

The pathogenesis of dissatisfaction of the own appearance in patients without obvious abnormalities is still unexplored. The aim of the study was to investigate the structure of psychopathological disorders in patients without evident appearance abnormalities seeking for surgical or cosmetological correction.

Methods

Study sample has included 227 women (average age: 35.8 ± 4.9 years) and 54 men (average age: 30.9 ± 5.7 years)–patients of plastic surgery and cosmetology clinic. The study used clinical psychopathological and follow-up methods of examination.

Results

We have found the heterogeneous spectrum of mental disorders in this group of patients: overvalued dysmorphophobia was diagnosed in 26%, anxiety-phobic disorders–23.1%, obsessive-compulsive disorders–in 11%, depression–in 32%, delusional disorders–in 7.5% of patients.

Conclusions

The results of our study show that the phenomenon of dissatisfaction with the appearance without obvious cosmetic defects manifests in the course of wide spectrum of mental disorders. The follow-up shows no improvement and even worsening of patients’ mental state after cosmetological or surgical treatment. Decision about possibility and extent of the operation should be based on the analysis of patient's mental state and motive for reference to aesthetic medicine specialist.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.