Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-dfsvx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-30T04:30:33.549Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reshaping the Psyche the Concurrent Improvement in Appearance and Mental State after Rhinoplasty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

A. A. Robin ,
J. B. Copas ,
A. B. Jack ,
A. C. Kaeser  and
P. J. Thomas
A. A. Robin*
Affiliation:
Runwell and Southend Hospitals and Charing Cross Hospital
J. B. Copas
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
A. B. Jack
Affiliation:
Runwell and Southend Hospitals
A. C. Kaeser
Affiliation:
Runwell and Basildon Hospitals
*
∗Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Rhinoplasty patients and matched elective-surgery controls completed the Facial Appearance Sorting Test, the General Health Questionnaire, a Repertory Grid and the Masculinity/Femininity Scale. Rhinoplasty applicants perceived appearance similarly to, and downrated their own appearance to the same extent as, controls. Impaired appearance and psychiatric symptoms are integral parts of the ‘rhinoplasty applicant syndrome’, but the degree to which they occur is not positively correlated. Interviews and tests were repeated 6 months after operation, when marked improvement in appearance was reported by the rhinoplasty patients, associated with the reduction of psychiatric-symptom scores. Control subjects showed no change.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 152 , Issue 4 , April 1988 , pp. 539 - 543
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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

Barsky, A. J. (1944) Psychology of the patient undergoing plastic surgery. American Journal of Surgery, 65, 238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Belfer, M. L., Harrison, A. M., Pillemer, F. C. & Murray, J. E. (1982) Appearance and the influence of reconstructive surgery on body image. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 9, 307–315.Google Scholar
Berscheid, E. & Gangestad, S. (1982) The social psychological implications of physical facial attractiveness. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 9, 289–296.Google Scholar
Bryt, A. (1953) Facial Deformities and Plastic Surgery – A Psychosocial Study (eds MacGregor, F. C., Atsel, T. M., Bryt, A., Lavor, E. and Weissman, S.). Springfield, Illinois: Charles L. Thomas.Google Scholar
Bull, R. (1979) The psychological significance of facial deformity. In Love and Attraction (eds Cook, M. and Wilson, G.). Oxford: Pergamon.Google Scholar
Bull, R. & Stevens, J. (1981) The effects of facial disfigurement on helping behaviour. Italian Journal of Psychology, 8, 25–33.Google Scholar
Clifford, E., Clifford, M. & Georgiade, N. G. (1984) The meaning of concepts related to breast reconstruction. Annals of Plastic Surgery, 13, 34–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Connolly, F. H. & Gipson, M. (1978) Dysmorphobia – a long term study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 568.Google Scholar
Dion, K. & Berscheid, E. (1974) Physical attractiveness and peer popularity among children. Sociometry, 37, 1–12.Google Scholar
Dion, K., Berscheid, E. & Walster, E. (1972) What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 24, 285–290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edgell, P. G. (1973) A psychiatrist joins a surgery of appearance symposium – a personal point of view. Canadian Journal of Otolaryngology, 2, 72–77.Google Scholar
Gipson, M. & Connolly, F. H. (1975) The incidence of schizophrenia and severe psychological disorders in patients 10 years after cosmetic rhinoplasty. British Journal of Plastic Surgery, 28, 155.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldberg, D. P. (1972) The detection of psychiatric illness by questionnaire. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
de Haan, B. (1984) Vers une Chirurgie de la personne (Psychological aspects of plastic surgery). Schweizerische Rundschau fur Medizin, 73, 469–472.Google Scholar
Harris, D. L. (1962) The symptomatology of abnormal appearance: an anecdotal survey. British Journal of Plastic Surgery, 35, 312–323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hay, G. G. (1970) Psychiatric aspects of cosmetic nasal operations. British Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 85.Google Scholar
Hay, G. G. & Heather, B. B. (1973) Changes in psychometric test results following cosmetic nasal operations. British Journal of Psychiatry, 122, 89.Google Scholar
Hill, G. & Silver, A. G. (1950) Psychodynamic and aesthetic motivations for plastic surgery. Psychosomatic Medicine, 12, 345.Google ScholarPubMed
Jacobson, W. E., Edgerton, M. T., Meyer, E., Canter, A. & Slaughter, R. (1960) Psychiatric evaluation of male patients seeking cosmetic surgery. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 26, 356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kalick, S. M. (1982) Clinician, social scientist and body image: collaboration and future prospects. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 9, 379–385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kenna, J. C. & Hoenig, J. (1984) Transsexualism and Slater's Selective Vocabulary Test. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 30, 207–212.Google Scholar
Kleck, R. E. & Strenta, A. (1980) Perceptions of the impact of negatively valued physical characteristics on social interaction. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 39, 861.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lejour, M. & Lecoq, C. (1975) Psychological implications of plastic surgery. Acta Clinica Belgica, 74, 5.Google Scholar
Linn, L. & Goldman, I. B. (1949) Psychiatric observations concerning rhinoplasty. Psychosomatic Medicine, 11, 307.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meyer, E., Jacobson, W. E., Edgerton, M. T. & Canter, A. (1960) Motivational patterns in patients seeking elective plastic surgery. Psychosomatic Medicine, 22, 193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, H. & Makhlouf-Norris, F. (1976) Explorations in Intra-Personal Space (ed. Slater, P.). London: Wiley.Google Scholar
Olley, P. C. (1974) Aspects of plastic surgery: social & psychological sequelae. British Medical Journal, iii, 322.Google Scholar
Pertschuk, M. J. & Whitaker, L. A. (1982) Social and psychological effects of cramo-facial deformity and surgical reconstruction. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 9, 297–306.Google Scholar
Slater, P. (1944) The Selective Vocabulary Test. London: Harrap.Google Scholar
Slater, P. (1972) Notes on Ingrid. London: St George's Hospital Medical School.Google Scholar
Snyder, M., Tanke, E. D. & Berscheid, E. (1977) Social perception and interpersonal behaviour: on the self fulfilling nature of social stereotypes. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 35, 656–666.Google Scholar
Updegraff, H. L. & Menninger, K. A. (1934) Some psycho-analytic aspects of plastic surgery. American Journal of Surgery, 25, 554–558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walster, E., Aronson, J. & Abahams, D. (1966) Importance of physical attractiveness in dating behaviour. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 4, 508–516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, M. R. & Wright, W. K. (1975) A psychological study of patients undergoing cosmetic surgery. Archives of Otolaryngology, 101, 145–151.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.