Are Those Who Seek Rhinoplasty Really More Depressed?

Objective 1) To study whether the prevalence of depression in rhinoplasty candidates is more than the patients of non‐cosmetic surgeries. 2) To define the importance of depression screening as a factor in rhinoplasty patient selection. Method The Beck depression inventory has been used to screen the state of depression in both patients seeking rhinoplasty and those who were supposed to undertake routine non‐cosmetic otorhinolaryngologic surgeries in the same hospital. 45 patients in each group were evaluated, and the results were analyzed through chi‐square and Student t tests. Results Overall 54.4% of patients were female and 45.6% were male, among which 62% of females were in the rhinoplasty group (p:0.02). The mean age in the rhinoplasty group was at least 1 decade younger than the patients undertaking non‐cosmetic surgeries (24.89 vs 36.27). Six rhinoplasty patients and 3 non‐cosmetic surgery patients were categorized in the mild depression group ( P : 0.39). None of the patients seeking rhinoplasty were scored as having moderate and severe depression, while 2 patients of noncosmetic surgeries were categorized in these groups. Conclusion Despite the existing social image of a large prevalence of depressive symptoms in rhinoplasty seekers, which would lead to the terms of concern about the operation result, patients undertaking rhinoplasty, both males and females, seem to be as depressed as other patients of the same socioeconomic status.