1) Women who got breast implants 19 years ago were disproportionately prone to distress over their bodily flaws; that's why they got the implants. 2) The implants made them happier for a while, but then the underlying disorder took over, driving some to suicide.

Is it also possible that preexisting distress over bodily flaws and aging was enhanced by the implants? I can imagine that, after two decades, the disparity of having breasts that look younger than the rest of one's body might compound the anxieties of the aging process.

I subscribe to the correlation, but not causation theory.

Those with implants are more likely to have self-image problems, of which implants are the symptom.

Now, if more are getting implants, then possibly more women have self-image problems.

QED:

Now, if more are getting implants, then possibly more women have self-image problems.

Or maybe breast implants are just cheaper, safer, and more attractive than they were 20 years ago. A lot more people are buying computers than they did 20 years ago, and it's not because the entire population suddenly got nerdier; it's because computers got better.

this is a prime example of correlation not equaling causation. there are myriad reasons why women who got breast implants 19+ years ago have higher suicide rates.

women who get breast implants have self-image issues. no surprise that there's a statistical correlation between people who are so unhappy with their bodies that they choose elective surgery and suicide. so why does it jump after 10 years, and then again after 19?

for one, women who got breast implants 19 years ago did so before implants were as (arguably) socially acceptable as they are today. which means these women arguably had more severe body-image issues than other women who were unhappy with their bodies at the time, but not so unhappy that they went under the knife when it was still somewhat stigmatized.

also, breast implants were more expensive 19 years ago and not as many doctors were performing them. thus, wealthier women got the implants, and there are any number of factors stemming from wealth x aging that could increase suicide rates (social pressure, substance abuse, adultery, divorce, etc.)

further, 19 year old breast implants are likely to look pretty nasty today. techniques for creating a more natural looking fake breast (such as implanting under the muscle) were not in use 19 years ago. thus, women with 19 year old breast implants could potentially wind up looking significantly disfigured today, which, when combined with their original body-image issues that caused them to get implants in the first place, could result in more suicide.

It's also possible that the people who got breast implants 19 years ago are now getting to that age where no amount of work will make them look young. If they are severely body concious, as indicated by the breast implants, I would not be surprised if this could lead to suicide.

But I agree that it's a causation rather than a correlation thing.