Browsing by Author "Hung, Mindy Min-Yu"

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The current practices of New Zealand plastic surgeons with respect to the psychological well-being of patients seeking elective aesthetic procedures : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2013) Hung, Mindy Min-Yu
The prevalence of psychopathology in patients seeking elective aesthetic surgery has been suggested to be higher compared to the general population, and adverse psychological outcomes appear to be more common than physical complications, particularly for patients with existing psychiatric problems. Although elective aesthetic surgery incorporates standard protocols to examine medical and anaesthetic risks, there seem to be no protocols for preoperative psychological evaluation. This study examines current practice among New Zealand plastic surgeons, their experience and management of their patients’ psychological well-being, and it compares data from New Zealand and USA. The participants were 25 surgeons in New Zealand eligible to perform elective aesthetic surgery who responded to an online survey. Statistical analysis was used to determine significant differences and relationships between variables. The majority of the surgeons in the sample relied mostly on their personal experience, intuition and clinical judgement for psychological evaluation. All the surgeons had at least some experience with patients presenting with psychological disorders, and some have had patients with adverse psychological outcomes after the surgery. Most of the surgeons refer patients with psychological issues to mental health care, however, a small number of surgeons found access to mental health care difficult. The preoperative consultation time was an important variable that was statistically related to the surgeon’s practice backgrounds and their experience of patients with psychopathology. In general, New Zealand data is consistent with those from USA in terms of the surgeons’ experience and practice. The findings suggest a need for preoperative psychological evaluation for elective aesthetic surgery in New Zealand.
The psychological changes in patients undergoing elective aesthetic surgery : a longitudinal study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2017) Hung, Mindy Min-Yu
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. The current study explores the psychological change in cosmetic surgery patients before and six months after the surgery, using mixed methods of applied longitudinal analysis and thematic analysis. It explores the psychological differences between 17 prospective cosmetic surgery patients and a comparison group of 20 not planning cosmetic surgery, examines why patients undergo surgery, and looks at factors that could influence surgery outcomes. Psychological measures were taken before the surgery and two weeks, three months and six months after the surgery. The psychological outcome variables include global self-esteem, appearance evaluation and orientation, psychological wellbeing and body image-related quality of life. No psychological difference was found between prospective cosmetic surgery participants and the comparison group, except that the surgery participants were more dissatisfied with their overall appearance and their body image experiences were more likely to have negatively affected their lives preoperatively compared with the comparison group. Cosmetic surgery was sought to address concerns and dissatisfaction over physical appearance, and under the expectation of postoperative psychological enhancement. Cosmetic surgery participation was significantly associated with increased appearance satisfaction over time, whereas no significant changes was found in other psychological variables. The majority of the postoperative cosmetic participants reported that their appearance dissatisfaction in other parts of their bodies have a somewhat negative impact on their lives, whereas the comparison group described that such appearance dissatisfaction has no effect on their lives or minor preoccupation at the most. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.