Psychological Screening Measures for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Patients: A Systematic Review

With the increasing popularity of cosmetic surgery procedures, preoperative psychological assessment of cosmetic surgery patients may improve outcomes by highlighting patient expectations and motivations, as well as by identifying those who may require psychological referral. In this article, the authors describe a systematic literature review to identify and evaluate current self-report tools used in the psychological screening of cosmetic surgery patients prior to surgery. Articles related to the preoperative mental health assessment of cosmetic surgery patients were identified by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, HAPI, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials through November 2010. The full text of potentially relevant articles was examined by 2 reviewers, and articles that met the inclusion criteria were reported. Close reading of 100 full-text articles showed that although a variety of instruments are currently being used as preoperative assessment tools, there are limitations to their validity and usefulness in the screening of cosmetic surgery patients. To properly assess cosmetic surgery patients, a scientifically sound and clinically useful instrument is needed.