The British Journal of Psychiatry 152: 539-543 (1988)
© 1988 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Reshaping the psyche. The concurrent improvement in appearance and mental state after rhinoplasty
AA Robin, JB Copas, AB Jack, AC Kaeser and PJ Thomas
Runwell Hospital, London.
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.