Mental health conditions more common among those who undergo bariatric surgery

Mental health conditions, such as depression and binge eating disorder, may be twice as common among bariatric surgery patients compared to the general U.S. population, with nearly 25 percent suffering from a mood disorder and nearly 20 percent being diagnosed with a binge eating disorder prior to the procedure, a UCLA-led study suggests. While bariatric surgery is an accepted method of promoting weight loss in severely obese individuals, the prevalence of these conditions among people seeking the procedure and whether they are associated with postoperative outcomes has not been known. For a study appearing in the Jan. 12 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers analyzed 68 journals published between January 1988 and November 2015 to determine the prevalence of mental health conditions among bariatric surgery candidates and recipients and the association between preoperative mental health conditions and health outcomes following bariatric surgery. The authors defined mental health conditions as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, substance abuse disorders, suicidality or suicidal ideation, and eating disorders, in particular binge eating. They found that 23 percent of people undergoing bariatric surgery reported a current mood disorder, most commonly depression (19 percent), while 17 percent of those undergoing surgery were diagnosed with an eating disorder. “Given these rates, it is important for physici...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news