Divining the Martyr is a project developed in order to achieve the Master of Arts (Research) degree. This is composed of 70% creative work displayed in an exhibition and 30% written work contained in this exegesis. The project was developed through practice-led research in order to answer the question “In what ways can creative practice synthesize and illuminate issues of martyrdom in contemporary makeover culture?” The question is answered using a postmodern framework about martyrdom as it is manifested in contemporary society. The themes analyzed throughout this exegesis relate to concepts about sainthood and makeover culture combined with actual examples of tragic cases of cosmetic procedures. The outcomes of this project fused three elements: Mexican cultural history, Mexican (Catholic) religious traditions, and cosmetic makeover surgery. The final outcomes were a series of installations integrating contemporary and traditional interdisciplinary media, such as sound, light, x-ray technology, sculpture, video and aspects of performance. These creative works complement each other in their presentation and concept, promoting an original contribution to the theme of contemporary martyrdom in makeover culture.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Communication, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-59).

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-04-12T12:19:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 fernandadiascoelho.pdf: 1381234 bytes, checksum: 8268a31c35508a8e0fb1b9e81c95249f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-04-24T03:32:42Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 fernandadiascoelho.pdf: 1381234 bytes, checksum: 8268a31c35508a8e0fb1b9e81c95249f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-24T03:32:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 fernandadiascoelho.pdf: 1381234 bytes, checksum: 8268a31c35508a8e0fb1b9e81c95249f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-09 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A cirurgia plástica vem se tornando uma prática comum no mundo todo, principalmente entre as mulheres. O Brasil ocupa o segundo lugar no ranking mundial de cirurgias plásticas, sendo os Estados Unidos da América o primeiro colocado. A imagem corporal é o principal tema de pesquisa relacionado ao procedimento cirúrgico na realização de pesquisas que avaliam a motivação desses indivíduos em optarem por tal procedimento. Dessa forma, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a satisfação com o corpo em mulheres submetidas à cirurgia plástica. Além disso, buscou-se verificar como estas se sentem em relação à aparência física e a motivação para a realização da cirurgia plástica. Para tanto, a presente dissertação foi estruturada em dois estudos: o primeiro se trata de um estudo quantitativo, comparativo e correlacional, com característica transversal. Neste, foram empregados três instrumentos: o Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination (BDDE), a Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3) e o Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). Já no segundo estudo, voltado para uma abordagem qualitativa, foi realizada uma entrevista semiestruturada a fim de analisar os discursos das voluntárias sobre seus corpos e cirurgia plástica. Verificou-se que, independente do número de cirurgias plásticas realizadas, os níveis de satisfação corporal, influência da mídia e preocupação com a forma ou partes do corpo não apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significativa para essas mulheres. Quando analisado o conteúdo da entrevistas, constatou-se que a insatisfação com o corpo ou a região operada foi o principal motivo para a realização do procedimento. Do mesmo modo, verificou-se que estas mulheres não se encontram totalmente satisfeitas com sua aparência física, podendo realizar outros procedimentos em momentos futuros. Dessa forma, conclui-se que a cirurgia plástica não foi capaz de influenciar na insatisfação corporal das voluntárias. Além do mais, o número de cirurgias plásticas não interferiu no nível de satisfação com seus corpos. / Plastic surgery has become a common practice, especially among women worldwide. Brazil ranks second in the world ranking of plastic surgery, and the United States the first place. The body image is a major research topic related to the surgical procedure in conducting research to assess the motivation of these individuals to opt for this procedure. Thus, the present study aimed to assess satisfaction with the body in women undergoing plastic surgery. In addition, we sought to verify how they feel about the physical appearance and achievement motivation of Plastic Surgery. Therefore, this thesis is structured in two studies : first , it is a quantitative, comparative and correlational, with characteristic cross. In this , we employed three instruments: the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination ( BDDE), the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnnaire- 3 ( SATAQ - 3 ), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) .In the second study, focused on a qualitative approach, a semistructured interview was conducted to analyze the speeches of volunteers about their bodies and Plastic Surgery. It was found that, regardless of the number of plastic surgeries performed, the levels of body satisfaction, media influence and concern with the shape or body parts showed no statistically significant differences for these women. When analyzing the content of the interviews, it was found that body dissatisfaction or operated region was the main reason for the procedure. Furthermore, it was found that these women are not fully satisfied with their physical appearance, being able to perform other procedures in future moments. Thus, it was concluded that the Plastic Surgery was not able to resolve the dissatisfaction body of volunteers. Moreover, the number of plastic surgery did not affect the level of body satisfaction.

Consumption of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures are increasing every year and are consumed by women to a far greater extent than by men. To bear the role of an influencer has also become increasingly common. When influencers post on their social media, they reach out to a large audience with the intention of  influencing their followers to consume the goods or services that they share. Since consumption of beauty procedures has increased in Sweden and continues to increase, we want to investigate whether influencers convey messages about consuming beauty procedures. The aim of the study is to analyze Swedish female influencer's opinions and arguments about the consumption of surgical and nonsurgical beauty procedures. To fulfill the aim of the study, the following questions will be answered: what opinions and arguments about the appearance and consumption of beauty procedures do influencers express? and What norms and values are visible in influencer's opinions and arguments? In total, 14 YouTube videos and 10 Swedish female influencers were examined. The women's ages range from 18 to 35 years old. The phenomenon was studied through netnography because influencers are very much active online and do sometimes share their opinions about beauty procedures online. The theories and concepts we analyze and interpret our empirical material with is Bauman’s (2008) theory of consumer society, Bordo’s (1993) view of feminism, western culture and the body and Cooley’s (1902) concept the looking-glass self. The findings showed that there were five values and norms that the influencers in our survey expressed, these were: believing the human being to be autonomous, women need to look a certain way to be accepted as beautiful, beauty procedures lead to happiness, the body should be subjected to examination, evaluation, modification and objectification, that beauty procedures should not be taken very seriously but instead accepted as an everyday practice.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:39:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Manuela Silva Ferreira de Sousa.pdf: 1390269 bytes, checksum: e85bf8a57760d30aa7ec8e761bfaa725 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-09-21 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Youth and physical beauty are extremely important values in contemporary society. The way one thinks of his/her body is closely related to the cultural demands that influence the creation of one s body image, an important core component of personality. The study was conducted in Clinical Psychology and was based on Jungian approach, and its general purpose was to investigate whether women's search for aesthetic plastic surgery is determined by body image disorders and/or other mental disorders. The specific objectives of the research were to evaluate the self-perception, interpersonal perception and relationship satisfaction of these women, as well as specific psychological characteristics. The tools used in the study were a self administered questionnaire and the Rorschach test, permitting a quantitative and qualitative investigation of the signification processes connected to the body and the modification of the body due to aesthetic surgeries. Differently from the initial hypothesis, research findings tell us that the incidence of psychological disorders in respondents of this study is similar to that found in the compared population, of the same socioeconomic level and from the same city. A decrease in narcissistic defenses was noticed, as well as greater easiness in self-affirmation initiatives and a decreased isolation in relationships, permitting a positive attitude towards the world and significant interpersonal exchanges, although these women also have changes in terms of perception and thought, which interfere with the structuring of their body image. Therefore, aesthetic plastic surgeries are sought for different reasons or personality traits. Although the psychological meaning attributed to these surgeries denotes satisfaction, we noticed that the persona tends to be excessively dependent. Psychological help in the context of aesthetic surgeries is something desirable, because in addition to help preventing unsatisfactory or unnecessary procedures, it may render the persona more flexible and have a positive effect on the personal satisfaction of these women by enhancing their self-esteem and promoting their quality of life / Na sociedade contemporânea a juventude e a beleza física são valores de extrema importância. A forma de se considerar o corpo está intimamente relacionada às exigências culturais que influenciam na formação da imagem corporal, núcleo importante da personalidade. Realizada na Psicologia Clínica e embasada na abordagem junguiana, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral investigar se a procura de mulheres por cirurgias plásticas estéticas é determinada por transtornos de imagem corporal e/ou outros transtornos psíquicos. Como objetivos específicos, o estudo pretendeu avaliar a autopercepção, a percepção interpessoal e a satisfação relacional dessas mulheres, bem como características psicológicas específicas. Os instrumentos utilizados foram um questionário auto-aplicável e o teste de Rorschach, permitindo uma investigação quantitativa e qualitativa dos processos de significação ligados ao corpo e a modificação deste a partir de cirurgias plásticas estéticas. Diferentemente da hipótese inicial, como resultado, verificou-se que a incidência de desajustes psicológicos nas participantes desta pesquisa é semelhante à da população comparada, de mesmo nível socioeconômico e da mesma cidade. Também notou-se a diminuição das defesas narcísicas, maior facilidade nos movimentos de afirmação e menor isolamento nas relações, possibilitando uma postura ativa em relação ao mundo e o estabelecimento de trocas interpessoais significativas, ainda que tais mulheres apresentem alterações no que tange à percepção e pensamento, que interferem na estruturação da imagem corporal. Dessa forma, as cirurgias plásticas estéticas são procuradas por diferentes motivos ou características de personalidade. Mesmo que o significado psicológico atribuído às mesmas mostre satisfação, verificamos que a persona tende a se encontrar excessivamente dependente. O trabalho psicológico no contexto das cirurgias estéticas é desejável, pois além de auxiliar evitando procedimentos insatisfatórios ou desnecessários, pode flexibilizar a persona, trazendo benefícios à satisfação pessoal dessas mulheres ao contribuir para a auto-estima e promover sua qualidade de vida

This thesis concerns Swedes’ medical tourism to Poland with an indication of  travelling for beauty treatments. Its goal is to study Swedes travelling to Poland because of aesthetic medicine purposes. Trips with medical background, e.g. surgeries, dental treatments or spa/wellness tourism were not taken into account in this assignment. However, in many aspects, some of this data were also included because of the unavailability of more precise sources. The aim has also been to try to reach an insight in what kind of factors and motivations cause that more and more Swedes choose to seek medical help in Poland. The goal has been also to show how the future of this kind of tourism could look like. The study is based on qualitative interviews with clinics and medical centres performing those treatments and patients/customers with such an experience. The theoretical framework concerns laws and regulations, also personal motivations and needs. I came to the conclusion that there are several reasons for people to travel to Poland for medical services: relative low costs of treatment, high quality of service and technology, short waiting periods, insignificant cultural differences and geographical proximity of both of the countries.

本研究探討小資女的微整型風潮，主要由兩大部分構成全文。第一部分是藉由台灣美容歷史的梳理，凸顯1990年代後由醫學主導的美容場域所塑造出的自然美神話。這神話使得選擇微整型實作的個人從自我認同到人際互動，多少都承載著自然美的價值去展演、觀看。透過訪談，本文進而揭示以微整型為日常保養的小資女，當她們在職場中從面試到工作與團體相處時，是如何發揮那隱而不見的「針」功夫，又如何以各種互動和對話技巧規避他人對自我外貌變化的猜疑。此外，本文也指出小資女身處在美容資訊隨處可見、選擇看似無窮的環境中，其個人決定如何在社會凝視下擺盪。應用Goffman的戲劇互動論，本文指出她們在職場上的儀式行為，尤其探問到在不同職場文化中的自我如何已經成為可以彈性形塑並要求改變的符號-物，甚至連同服裝及儀容也必須轉換為應當的儀式表達。 　　第二部分則是從自然美神話裡的矛盾元素去探究醫療細微化的科技視野下所呈現的當代生活。透過訪談，本文初步揭示女性在神話結構當中對於自然美的渴求，並且藉由微整型實作完成神話的矛盾要素。應用Baudrillard的消費社會觀，本文指出當女性在尋求差異以強調自我獨特性時，卻正相反地在迎合社會的共同性價值。此處除了小資女的自我敘述之外，本文也結合理論文獻及二手資料進階探究自然美形塑過程的三大面向，亦即物質技術、廣告消費和數位微整型。首先，我們基於物質、技術與醫師經驗等三個判準，將當前四大微整型技術劃出一條自然光譜。其次，我們從醫美診所的廣告文宣，梳理其中針對微整形技術的自然主張，了解業者的自然宣稱及消費者的自然認知。第三，我們還探討了電腦技術下的數位修圖以便凸顯出微整形的自然美意涵。從數位攝影的普及到網路平台的展演，我們在數位自拍與修圖等虛擬真實的媒介實作中探索自然美神話的疆界。 / This research comprised of two parts studies the emerging trend of cosmetic surgery practiced by young working females in Taiwan. In the first part, a short history of cosmetic practices is outlined to mark the formation of a myth of natural beauty since medical science and technology dominated the traditional field of cosmetic practices in the late 1990s. The myth makes the individual who has gone through cosmetic surgery carry the value of natural beauty while regarding one’s self-identity and performing in social interactions. Through in-depth interviews, the study shows that these young working females who have made cosmetic surgery an integral part of their daily beauty maintenance tend to exercise subtle strategies (art or kung-fu) of simulation, acting and interacting as if their beauty were all natural and real beyond suspicion at work-related situations. In addition, our study finds that personal decisions struggle constantly with the injunction of the social value (of natural beauty) as these young females are exposed to an excessive array of beauty information and surgery options. With resort to Goffman's theory of dramaturgical interaction, this study reveals some interaction rituals performed in different workplaces by these young working females. As a result, the individual self has itself become a sign-object malleable to change along with proper ways of clothing and grooming. The second part proceeds to explore contemporary living under the miniaturized purview of medical technology through the contradictory elements embodied in the myth of natural beauty. Once again drawing on in-depth interviews, the study reveals the female desire of natural beauty derived from the mythical structure, as well as their practices of cosmetic surgery which further realizes those contradictory elements in reproducing the myth. By applying Baudrillard’s theory of the consumer society, this study indicates that the more women intend to stress on their unique selves by marking out individual differences, the more they unintentionally cater to the common value of our society. In this regard, our study, apart from the self reports of interviewees, also combines theoretical discourses and secondary data to further explore the natural beauty process in its three main aspects, which might be termed as the cosmetic surgery of the material (technique), the representational (advertising) and the digital (social media). First, we delineate a spectrum of naturalism for the four major techniques of cosmetic surgery based on substance, technology and experience of the physician. Second, we examine the clinical claims and the consumer perceptions of nature shaped by advertising images and slogans circulated in the beauty industry. Third, we observe the trend of digital retouching with computer technology to sharpen the meaning of natural beauty in the practice of cosmetic surgery. From the relay of digital photography to the display of internet platform, we explore the mythical frontier of natural beauty by witnessing the digital retouching of selfies as a mediatory practice of virtual reality.

La place primordiale accordée à l’apparence physique dans la société actuelle, qui est une société de «l’image», a fait de la chirurgie esthétique la pratique chirurgicale la plus répandue et réclamée. Cette pratique, d’abord considérée illicite, puis exclusivement liée à des fins thérapeutiques, fut reconnue par la jurisprudence française à la suite d’une évolution prétorienne en 1936. Les raisons d’un tel retard de reconnaissance résident dans la spécificité qui distingue la chirurgie esthétique des autres branches de la médecine chirurgicale : en effet, la chirurgie esthétique se caractérise d’une part par sa nature qui est dépourvue de toute finalité curative et qui est réalisée sur une personne jouissant d’une bonne santé et, d’autre part, par sa finalité puisqu’elle vise à réaliser une amélioration de l’apparence physique et de la morphologie de la personne concernée. Cette double spécificité distingue également la chirurgie esthétique de la chirurgie reconstructrice et réparatrice. Ces caractéristiques mêmes de la chirurgie esthétique ont exigé, de la jurisprudence, mais également du législateur français, un traitement juridique spécial du chirurgien esthétique en vue d’éviter que ce dernier ne profite de la fragilité, aussi bien physique que psychique, de la personne ayant une obsession de beauté et de perfectionnement physique dans un domaine non curatif. C’est ainsi que nous avons abordé, dans la présente étude, les points spécifiques du traitement juridique du chirurgien esthétique, tant au regard de ses obligations que de sa responsabilité. Relativement aux obligations, la spécificité de la chirurgie esthétique exige tout d’abord un devoir d’information rigoureuse de la part du praticien afin d’aboutir à un consentement préalable éclairé du patient, ce qui suppose un devis écrit contenant tous les renseignements relatifs à l’intervention. Elle exige, d’autre part, un processus préalable en trois étapes […] Pour ce qui est de la responsabilité du chirurgien esthétique, elle est également spécifique, et ce sur les plans civil et pénal : Sur le plan civil, sa spécificité a poussé la jurisprudence française, qui a réalisé son approche du point de vue de la nature de l’obligation du chirurgien esthétique, à procéder à une démarche de « mutation » des règles applicables en droit commun dans une tentative de les adapter à la spécificité de l’intervention chirurgicale esthétique et de la responsabilité du praticien qui en découle. Cependant, la démarche jurisprudentielle était inadaptée à la spécificité de la chirurgie esthétique, et a entrainé une large confusion au sein de la jurisprudence et de la doctrine ; elle est donc critiquable. C’est ainsi que la présente étude propose un régime spécifique à la responsabilité civile du chirurgien esthétique à trois facettes : La détermination du cadre juridique de la responsabilité contractuelle du chirurgien esthétique liée à la spécificité du contrat de chirurgie esthétique ayant pour objet unique l’amélioration de morphologie et pour objectif la réalisation du résultat attendu qui a justifié l’intervention esthétique ; ainsi le chirurgien garantit le résultat esthétique de l’intervention. Le maintien de la responsabilité extracontractuelle en ce qui concerne les dommages qui surviennent à l’occasion de l’exécution de l’obligation contractuelle. L’institution d’un régime spécifique prenant en considération l’éventualité des dommages survenus en raison des aléas thérapeutiques et des risques exceptionnels, en envisageant un régime d’indemnisation automatique lié à des cas spécifiques qui se place en dehors du régime de la responsabilité civile. Quant à la responsabilité pénale du chirurgien esthétique, une incrimination spéciale et strictement adaptée à la nature de la chirurgie esthétique s’applique essentiellement dans trois circonstances : le remodelage sexuel, la publicité mensongère et l’expérimentation scientifique. / The prominent place given to physical appearance in the current society qualified as the society of the “image”, has made cosmetic surgery, the most common surgical practice and claimed. This practice which was deemed illegal at one time and was then linked to the only therapeutic purposes has been recognized by the French courts following a change praetorian in 1936. The reasons supporting such a delay of recognition result from the specificity that distinguishes cosmetic surgery of the other surgical branches, it’s characterized by its very nature which is devoid of any curative purposes and is performed on a healthy person and its purpose is to achieve an improvement in the physical appearance and the morphology of the person concerned. This dual specificity also distinguishes cosmetic surgery from reconstructive and restorative surgeries. The specifications of cosmetic surgery required a special legal treatment of the cosmetic surgeon so it does not take advantage of the physical and mental fragility that has an obsession with beauty and physical development. Thus, we approached in this study the specific features of the legal treatment of the cosmetic surgeon in terms of obligations and responsibility.Regarding obligations, the specificity of cosmetic surgery requires a rigorous information obligation of the cosmetic surgeon to lead to a prior informed consent of the patient contained also on a written quotation. It requires a three-step process prior […] As for the cosmetic surgeon’s responsibility, it is also specific regarding its civil and criminal responsibilities : Specificity of its liability has led the French courts which made its approach towards the nature of the cosmetic surgeon’s obligation to conduct a process of «changing» the rules of common law in an attempt to adapt to specificity of cosmetic surgery and the resulting liability. However, the judicial process was not adapted to the specificity of cosmetic surgery, it led to a significantly wider confusion in the jurisprudence and doctrine, it is therefore questionable. Thus, we propose in this paper a specific regime for civil liability cosmetic surgeon three-sided : The contractual liability of the cosmetic surgeon linked to the specific contract cosmetic surgery that aims to improve morphology and has the objective of achieving the expected result which has justified the intervention. Thus, the cosmetic surgeon provides the aesthetic result of the intervention. Maintaining liability regarding damages that occur during the execution of the contractual obligation. The establishment of a special regime taking into account the case of damage due to therapeutic hazards and exceptional risks considering a compensation scheme automatically linked to specific cases that are placed outside the regime of civil liability. As to the criminal responsibility of the cosmetic surgeon, a special incrimination is strictly adapted to the nature of the surgery mainly applies in three situations : sexual remodeling, false advertising and scientific experimentation.

xiv, 246 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This project is a critical and comparative investigation of Western and non-Western practices of body modification. Situated in the realm of feminist political theory, the project engages the literature and debates concerning embodiment, or the symbolic and concrete meanings of women's bodies. I specifically explore two examples of the physical construction of women's bodies: breast implantation in the United States and female genital cutting (FGC) in Senegal. I demonstrate that each of the practices molds bodies into preexisting naturalized forms. For this project, I conducted eighty in-depth, open-ended, and semi-structured interviews with women and men in twelve different locations in Senegal. Then, I carried out sixty-five in-depth, open-ended, and semi-structured interviews with American men and women from twenty-one different cities. I argue that the information that emerges from looking at body normalization comparatively allows me to make two important claims. The first is that the material that originates from interviews in this comparative study disrupts existing hegemonic discourse on sex-based body modifications. In particular, the comparative findings challenge the viewpoint that espouses a "Western women are free, African women are oppressed" binary. Second, examining FGC in Senegal alongside breast implantation in the US can uncover normalization that is invisible within social fields, or in the lives of women and men. Normalization is hard to see when in it, but easier to see if an individual steps outside of herself, her context, and her patriarchy. Thus, though many women do not recognize the normalizing structures within their own lives, they often are able to see these hegemonic structures in the lives of others. Women stepping outside of their own contexts can provide fresh, critical eyes that recognize embedded normalizations and oppression in other contexts. Further, this realization also can push them to return that critical gaze onto their own environment, which is the beginning of locating mechanisms of control within their own field. The construction of sex and the imprinting of gender norms upon bodies are manifestations of regulation and normalization that occur within socio-cultural contexts, and which individuals can potentially locate through a comparative conversation of this type. / Committee in charge: Dennis Galvan, Chairperson, Political Science; Julie Novkov, Member, Political Science; Leonard Feldman, Member, Political Science; Stephen Wooten, Outside Member, Anthropology

Submitted by Marlene Santos (marlene.bc.ufg@gmail.com) on 2016-09-30T20:29:21Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Paulo Renato Simmons de Paula - 2016.pdf: 1623207 bytes, checksum: 208b458a934eefafba5fc73c2f634e17 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-10-03T13:01:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Paulo Renato Simmons de Paula - 2016.pdf: 1623207 bytes, checksum: 208b458a934eefafba5fc73c2f634e17 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-03T13:01:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Paulo Renato Simmons de Paula - 2016.pdf: 1623207 bytes, checksum: 208b458a934eefafba5fc73c2f634e17 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / OBJECTIVES: Analyze the prevalence of the pre-operative depressive symptoms (SD) in patients who search cosmetic breast surgeries (with and without implants) in two different institutions (public and private) comparing: the types of surgeries, institutions and their sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study on the prevalence of DS, among patients seeking cosmetic breast surgery using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and questionnaire of sociodemographic datas for statistical comparison. RESULTS: 185 patients were included between 18 and 71 years and the greatest demand in the public institution was the reduction mammoplasty while in private was for breast augmentation.Among the institutions, there were statistically significant differences in socio-demographic variables: age (p=0.034), skin color (p<0.001), marital status between cohabiting and divorced (p=029 and p=0.039 respectively), schooling (p=0.002) and income (p<0.001). There were differences in the distribution of scores between institutions (p=0.03) and in the number and percentage of DS evaluation categories with a prevalence of 120% and 242% more positive depressive disorder’s risk (R+TD: ≥15 points in BDI-II) respectively with moderate to severe level in the public institution. The prevalence of R+TD in public institution was 25.8%, while the private was 11.6% (p=0.012). Among the patients with R+TD, the variables: age, schooling and income were statistically significant (p<0.001 for all), after Poisson’s regression. No patient of mastopexy without implants presented R+TD and the highest prevalence of this (51.4%) occurred in breast implant patients (breast augmentation and mastopexy with implants). The presence (p=0.12) or absence (p=0.33) of implant did not demonstrate a higher risk for depression with statistically significant. Among all patients, 7% answered positively about suicide item, with predominance within the group of implants (54.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of DS is high (18.9%), with greater risk of 2,3 in public. Patients from public and private institutions showed different profiles. Age, less education and lower income are possible predictors of R+TD in this population. There was no statistically significant difference between R+TD and the different kinds of cosmetic breast surgeries among institutions. Patients for breast implant do not shown to have a higher significant of SD. / OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a prevalência de sintomas depressivos (SD) pré-operatórios em pacientes que buscam cirurgias mamárias estéticas (com e sem implantes) em duas instituições distintas (pública e privada) comparando: os tipos de cirurgias, instituições e suas características sociodemográficas. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de estudo transversal de prevalência de SD entre pacientes que buscam cirurgias plásticas mamárias estéticas utilizando Inventário de Depressão Beck (BDI-II) e questionário de dados sociodemográficos para comparação estatística. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídas 185 pacientes entre 18 e 71 anos onde a maior procura na instituição pública foi pela mamoplastia redutora enquanto na privada foi pela mamoplastia de aumento. Entre as instituições houve diferença estatisticamente significante nas variáveis sócio-demográficas: idade (p=0,034), cor da pele (p<0,001), estado civil entre amasiadas e divorciadas (p=029 e p=0,039 respectivamente), tempo de estudo (p=0,002) e renda (p<0,001). Houve diferença na distribuição das pontuações entre instituições (p=0,03) e do número e porcentagem das categorias de avaliação de SD com prevalência de 120% e 242% a mais de risco positivo de transtorno depressivo (R+TD: ≥15 pontos no BDI-II) respectivamente de nível moderado e grave na instituição pública. A prevalência de R+TD na instituição pública foi de 25,8%, enquanto na privada 11,6% (p=0,012). Entre as pacientes com R+TD, as variáveis: idade, tempo de estudo e renda apresentaram significância estatística (p<0,001 em todas), após regressão de Poisson. Nenhuma paciente de mastopexia sem implante apresentou R+TD enquanto que a maior prevalência deste (51,4%) ocorreu em pacientes de implante mamário (mamoplastia de aumento e mastopexia com implante). A presença (p=0,12) ou ausência (p=0,33) de implante não demonstraram maior risco para TD com significância. Dentre todas as pacientes, 7% responderam positivamente sobre o item suicídio, com predomínio no grupo com indicação de implantes (54,5%). CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de SD é elevada (18,9%), com risco de 2,3 maior na pública. Pacientes de instituição pública e privada apresentam perfis diferentes. As variáveis: idade, menor escolaridade e baixa renda são possíveis fatores preditivos de R+TD nesta população. Não se observou diferença estatisticamente significante entre R+TD e os diferentes tipos de cirurgias mamárias estéticas entre instituições. Pacientes com indicação de implante mamário não demonstraram ter maior significância de R+TD.