Cutting Edge - an innovative psychosocial training program for healthcare professionals who provide appearance-altering procedures

Abstract

Access to psychosocial care is considered a fundamental part of the care for conditions that result in a visible difference, such as cleft lip and palate. At the same time, there is a shortage of trained mental health professionals and structural resources, making it challenging to implement the psychosocial component of care for many healthcare providers worldwide. Therefore, there is a need to find innovative ways to facilitate psychosocial support. This article aims to describe the Cutting Edge Training program that was developed to increase the psychosocial understanding of healthcare professionals who provide care for patients undergoing appearance-altering procedures. The program consists of five modules, with a particular emphasis on social determinants and the impact of living in an appearance-focused society. The developed training program does increase knowledge and awareness of the negative impacts of appearance-related distress and how to improve patient care for those undergoing appearance-altering procedures. Furthermore, it promotes a broader social dialogue about the need to encourage positive attitudes towards diversity in appearance, thus enhancing the future social integration of those who are affected by visible differences.