Mindy Hung

Citation

Thesis Title
The Psychological Changes in Patients Undergoing Elective Aesthetic Surgery: A Longitudinal Study

Read article at Massey Research Online:

The popularity of elective cosmetic surgery has risen rapidly over the last two decades, drawing attention to its pursuit and psychological effects. However, the literature shows mixed results regarding the psychological outcomes of cosmetic surgery, suggesting methodological weaknesses across a majority of the studies, and lending weight to the belief that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate the psychological benefits of cosmetic surgery. Ms Hung explored the psychological change in cosmetic surgery patients before and six months after their surgery, using mixed methods of applied longitudinal analysis and thematic analysis. She found that cosmetic surgery patients showed increased appearance satisfaction overtime, and no change in other psychological variables, including self-esteem, psychological wellbeing and quality of life in relation to body image. The findings suggest that cosmetic surgery has an effect on improving cosmetic surgery patients’ appearance dissatisfaction; however, it is unlikely to result in other psychological and psychosocial benefits.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Richard Fletcher
Associate Professor Paul Merrick