Excess suicide risk and other external causes of death among women with cosmetic breast implants: a neglected research priority.
Five large epidemiologic mortality studies of women with cosmetic breast implants have consistently reported a two- to threefold higher rate of suicide compared with the general female population. Overall, 135 suicides have been observed, compared with 66.9 expected, yielding a significantly elevated standardized mortality ratio of 2.0 (95% CI, 1.5-2.6). In addition to suicides, excesses from other external causes of death related to drug and alcohol abuse/dependence, atypical motor vehicle accidents, and other self-harm causes have been consistently reported. These observations, together with limited but direct epidemiologic evidence of preimplant psychiatric hospitalization, as well as self-reports of preimplant psychiatric disorders, including depression, eating disorders, and body image dissatisfaction, among implant women raise the possibility of significant underlying psychiatric morbidity for a subgroup of implant patients. Research into the psychiatric profiles and history of the women who have committed suicide in the investigated cohorts appears warranted.
Lipworth
Loren
L
International Epidemiology Institute, 1455 Research Boulevard, Suite 550, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. loren@iei.us
McLaughlin
Joseph K
JK
D018427:Breast Implants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data