Citation

Lipworth L, McLaughlin JK. Curr. Psychiatry Rep. 2010; 12(3): 234-238.

Affiliation

International Epidemiology Institute, 1455 Research Boulevard, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. loren@iei.us

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s11920-010-0115-9

PMID

20425286

Abstract

Five large epidemiologic mortality studies of women with cosmetic breast implants have consistently reported a two- to threefold higher rate of suicide compared with the general female population. Overall, 135 suicides have been observed, compared with 66.9 expected, yielding a significantly elevated standardized mortality ratio of 2.0 (95% CI, 1.5-2.6). In addition to suicides, excesses from other external causes of death related to drug and alcohol abuse/dependence, atypical motor vehicle accidents, and other self-harm causes have been consistently reported. These observations, together with limited but direct epidemiologic evidence of preimplant psychiatric hospitalization, as well as self-reports of preimplant psychiatric disorders, including depression, eating disorders, and body image dissatisfaction, among implant women raise the possibility of significant underlying psychiatric morbidity for a subgroup of implant patients. Research into the psychiatric profiles and history of the women who have committed suicide in the investigated cohorts appears warranted.

Language: en