Psychiatric disorders among obese patients seeking bariatric surgery: results of structured clinical interviews.

Background: Obesity and psychiatric disorders are burdensome health problems commonly observed in general population and clinical samples. However, non-standardized assessment and small size of the sample might hamper conclusions of the investigations. The objective of this study is to replicate previous findings on frequency of psychiatric disorders and associated factors among obese patients seeking bariatric surgery, assessed through standardized interview.

Material And Method: The sample was comprised of 393 treatment-seeking obese patients (79.1% women; mean age 43.0 years, mean BMI 47.8 kg/m(2)) recruited from a university-based bariatric center. Trained clinicians ascertained the psychiatric diagnosis of the participants through structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis (SCID-I).

Results: The current rate of any psychiatric disorders was 57.8% (58.5% men vs. 57.6% women). The current anxiety disorders were the most frequent diagnosis (46.3%) among those participants with current disorder. Age and educational level were associated with the likelihood of presenting current psychiatric disorders. The lifetime rate of any psychiatric disorders was 80.9% (81.7 men vs. 80.7% women). Lifetime affective disorders were the most frequent diagnosis (total 64.9%; bipolar disorders 35.6% and depressive disorders 29.3%). About half of the sample presented 3 or more concurrent disorders among those respondents presenting any lifetime psychiatric disorders.

Conclusions: Psychiatric disorders are frequent conditions among obese patients before bariatric surgery. Systematic assessment of patients in the pre-surgical phase is recommended. Prognostic implications of psychiatric disorders on surgery outcome should be demonstrated in follow-up study.