New York, NY (September
24, 2003) — New analysis shows that actual
suicide rates may be lower than expected
among women who undergo breast augmentation,
and that the procedure may actually confer
protection from suicide, according to Thomas
Joiner, PhD, Professor of Psychology at
Florida State University and a leading expert
on suicide.



"The essential point is that for reasons
having nothing to do with breast augmentation,
women who undergo the procedure are at greater
risk for suicide," said Dr. Joiner. "This
is because there are known variables that
represent risk factors for suicide - including
race, age, marital and smoking status, alcohol
use, and a variety of other characteristics;
and in these characteristics," he emphasized,
"breast augmentation patients differ from
the general population of women in small
ways. Although these differences are small,"
he continued, "when small differences on
key variables are combined, they can produce
substantial differences in suicide rates."
In other words, for reasons having nothing
to do with breast augmentation, the subgroup
of women who undergo the procedure should
have a relatively high suicide rate because
their demographic and other characteristics
put them at greater risk.



Dr. Joiner analyzed the existing published
data on the demographic, behavioral and
psychological characteristics of women who
undergo breast augmentation, and derived
a statistically-based estimate of their
risk for suicide. According to Dr. Joiner,
even considerations of race, age, divorced
status and smoking alone, without other
behavioral and psychological factors, increase
the expected rate of suicide among women
who undergo cosmetic breast enhancement.
"It turns out that, based on currently available
data, the expected rate of suicide in breast
augmentation patients should exceed the
rate in the general population of women
by 4-fold, but the actual suicide rate among
these patients is lower than expected,"
said Dr. Joiner. "Therefore, the possibility
arises that breast augmentation actually
confers protection from suicide, presumably
by increasing self-esteem and body image
satisfaction."



"Dr. Joiner's analysis appears to provide
a new perspective on recent studies claiming
a higher rate of suicide in women who have
undergone breast augmentation," said Robert
Bernard, MD, president of the American Society
for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). "In
addition, it is important to note that no
study has indicated a causal relationship
between breast implants and suicide. The
vast majority of breast augmentation patients
report high satisfaction with the procedure,"
he continued, "along with an increase in
body image satisfaction. What the suicide
studies may suggest is the possibility that
a small percentage of women who seek cosmetic
breast surgery have psychological issues
that cannot be addressed by making improvements
in their body image. Clearly," he emphasized,
"this is an area that raises important questions
that need further research."



Dr. Joiner has published six books and over
200 scientific articles on topics related
to mental disorders including suicide. He
was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship this
year to support work on suicide and in 2001
was given the Shneidman Award from the American
Association of Suicidology for excellence
in suicide research. His current analysis
of suicide risk among breast augmentation
patients, funded by the Aesthetic Surgery
Education and Research Foundation (ASERF),
is soon to be published in the September/October
issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal,
the peer-reviewed publication of the American
Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).




The 2100-member American Society for Aesthetic
Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is the leading society
of plastic surgeons who specialize in aesthetic
(cosmetic) plastic surgery and is recognized
throughout the world as the authoritative
source for cosmetic surgery education. U.S.
and Canadian members are certified by the
American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)
or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Canada. Toll-free referral line: 888.ASAPS.11
(272.7711). Web site: www.surgery.org. ASAPS
and its foundation, the Aesthetic Surgery
Education and Research Foundation (ASERF),
have sponsored research on psychological
issues and patient satisfaction related
to cosmetic surgery. These two organizations
continue to educate their members with the
goal of better serving the needs of patients.