Mental Health Histories and Psychiatric Medication Usage among Persons Who Sought Cosmetic Surgery

This retrospective chart review study examined the mental health histories and psychiatric medication usage of persons who sought cosmetic surgery. The medical records of 232 patients who had undergone a consultation for a cosmetic procedure were reviewed. The rates of self-reported psychiatric disorders and of psychiatric medication usage of these patients were compared with those of 200 patients who underwent noncosmetic procedures. Nineteen percent of cosmetic surgery patients reported a mental health history, significantly greater than the 4 percent of the noncosmetic patients who reported a psychiatric history. Eighteen percent of the cosmetic patients reported using a psychiatric medication at the time of their consultation, also significantly greater than the 5 percent of the noncosmetic patients who reported psychiatric medication usage. These results underscore the importance of collecting a psychiatric history from prospective cosmetic surgery patients. Recommendations for assessing patients' psychiatric history and status are provided.