BA mental health checks b4 being allowed surgery

Patients who want cosmetic surgery like breast enlargements should have to undergo rigorous mental health checks before being allowed the procedure, say MPs.

An official report published today warns that Britain faces a body image and eating disorder crisis which threatens to fuel a rise in mental illness.

The problem is so acute that girls as young as five now worry about their size and appearance, with children in danger of picking up their parents' body-related anxieties, the report said.

Cosmetic surgery rates have increased by nearly 20 per cent since 2008 and the rise was said to be fuelled by advertising and 'irresponsible' marketing ploys, a cross-party group of MPs was told.

According to Reflections on Body Image, co-authored by the MPs and health and education charity Central YMCA, prospective cosmetic surgery patients should face psychological tests.

It says: 'There is an urgent need to develop a psychological screening tool and follow up measure to gather data on the psychological characteristics and suitability of prospective patients who want to have cosmetic surgery.'

The report, published by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Body Image after a three-month public inquiry, identified a growing evidence that body image dissatisfaction was on the increase.

The issue is seen to be one affecting all of society regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, body size or shape.

Negative body image was said to be an underlying cause of health and relationship problems, a key contributor to low self-esteem and a major barrier to participation in school and progression at work.

It also claims that up to one in five cosmetic surgery patients could suffer from body dysmorphic disorder

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) agreed a separate code of regulations should be drawn up governing cosmetic surgery advertising and called for an outright ban on adverts of this type in public places like billboards and public transport.

BAAPS also announced it was funding long-term research into psychological assessment of patients.

APPG chairwoman Jo Swinson MP said: 'Body image dissatisfaction in the UK has reached an all-time high and the pressure to conform to an unattainable body ideal is wreaking havoc on the self-esteem of many people.'

source HERE

I guess this explains the sudden interest in depression from surgeons that we've been hearing about just lately here and them wanting a letters from a GP explaining the patients depression has nothing to do with body dysmorphia xx

My apologies for writing 'b4' (before) in the title, it was the only way I could fit it all in. :flowers: xx

Thanks Cookie x

interesting ... isnt it a positive move for a person who has suffered this way to take steps to make themselves feel better though?

Not necessarily were 'body dysmorphia is concerned, because someone could put themselves through major surgery to change their appearance and they'd still dislike the way they looked.

I'm trying to think of an analogy to use.....It's kind of like an anorexic who is painfully thin, but when they look in the mirror, they still see fat.

It's the same with body dysmorphia, you could be stunningly attractive, but it's not what you see in the mirror and no amount of surgery would help make them feel better about themselves, they need help, not surgery.

So I suppose, when you think of it, although it may a pain in the bum for those suffering depression only and wanting a BA to get the letter that's needed, in a way, it's also catching those that desperately need help before they do something they might later regret.

I do hope though that surgeons start to make it clear to patients from day one that they will need to contact their GPs, rather than leaving it till last minute as we've seen through the disappointment of some of the ladies here of late.

Hopefully we can at least help some ladies who might have depression and help get the message across to them about the possibility og gaining that letter early on in their journey to save disappointment later xx

I have always thought they should do this, although I dont think they are doing enough, but it is a step in the right direction. Mental health is of huge importance. No one wants to look like Michael Jackson, but some go for so many surgeries they look quite strange.

Cookie, sorry - yeah youre right.

Having said that though how about a person who has had issues like this in their past being stopped having their ba later in life even if they have maybe gotten over their difficulties.

Would it be up to the doc to say they believed their patient was over these problems or would the PS see past history and just put a block on it so as to not risk their own reputation.

Id hope it would be up to the doc to make that decision and not just the PS who may well be advised by their board to block all ba's for anyone who has any history like this.

Hope that makes sense - trying to be careful with words.

Id agree to a review of a persons mental health at the time of wanting the ba but I think care should be taken when looking at past history. Surely the mistakes of a persons past could be left in the past?

I'm sure a womans current situation would very much be taken into consideration and the GPs word would be enough to progress with surgery. Afterall it's the GP who 'knows' the woman and her mental state, so they'd be the best person to make that decision and which is why surgeon do seem to requesting letters from GPs right now. xx

I think it's a good idea to consider the patient's mental health. Too many women are under the impression that having bigger boobs will change their lives more positively than it really will. It's important to address why you want to have this done, and what your expectations are. I think if you are suffering from confidence issues you really should address the underlying matters before proceding with cosmetic surgery.

Also, and going back to the recent show on the safety of breast implants, it baffles me how so many women know so little about the risks. What if something goes wrong with the surgery, and they have complications? How aware of these complications were they before deciding to go ahead with it? Would they be able to handle complications form a pychological perspective, especially if they're counting on their new boobs to feel better or boost low confidence?

For the record, I have a history of depression and general anxiety disorder. I didn't disclose this to the clinic before my BA though, because I manage it with exercise and cognitive therapy, and my mental issues have never had anything to do with confidence issues, therefore irrelevant to the reasons behind my wanting surgery in my opinion. I'm a very confident person, and was before my BA. I wanted a boob job because I didn't like the way they looked anymore after having children. Having nice looking boobs will not change my life, I'm still the same person, my life is still the same, and so far no one has even noticed I've had anything done (damn sports bras ), which is fine with me, I had it done for myself. On the other hand I do get to wear certain summer clothes I've since stopped wearing, once I get out of this sports bra, nice perk, pun intended

I'm very angered by clinics cancelling surgeries on short notice for this reason though. This would cause distress to anyone about to undergo major surgery. My feeling are that the clinic didn't care about the patience, only about not getting in trouble by the authorities and press, given the recent issues

roxanne wrote:I'm very angered by clinics cancelling surgeries on short notice for this reason though. This would cause distress to anyone about to undergo major surgery. My feeling are that the clinic didn't care about the patience, only about not getting in trouble by the authorities and press, given the recent issues

I've found long before this article that for the large commercial clinics, their backs and their money have always come first and it's why here at BJSF we strive so hard to get the truth out to women and pour as much information good or bad into the forum for all to read... Yes, having a BA can be life changing and fantastic! But there's another side to plastic surgery that isn't so fantastic and we've never glossed that over that here and will always try to get the best for women out there looking for support when wanting their BA XX

This is an interesting post cookie thank you.

I agree that clinics/companies need to stress this at the very start of their journey for example, when you have to fill in the medical form at your first every patient co-ordinator appointment. This then gives the patient a good chance in preparing the necessary documents and communication with their GP to prevent them frantically trying to sort things out at the last minute which I was I am unfortunately having to do as I was not pre warned.

I do understand and agree with the fact they are taking body dysmorphia seriously and I can understand why they would need to assess someone or require confirmation a patient does not have this but it needs to be made clear to patients that suffer or have suffered with depression that they will need a signed GP letter before the surgery can go ahead.

xx

In many ways I think this will be excellent, there are many women who go through cosmetic surgery to make themselves feel happier when it isn't the answer to a much deeper problem! There are plenty out there who have gone one step too far - including a woman who injected cooking oil into her face because she could no longer afford CS - all of which could have been prevented with adequate medical support and advise alleiviating whatever problem in a much more effective way.

On the other hand I've been very depressed in the past and even suffered from an eating disorder, all of which I overcame a few years ago. I would hate a difficult time in my past to get in the way of my future! I've always done things such as dye my hair, go and get a tattoo when feeling like I need a drastic change or to take control. But my BA was nothing of the sort, it wasn't easy to get the money together or make what started as a dream a reality. So I'd hope they take into account the current mental state of the patient and not become time wasters like they were for letfreedomsing!x