Psychiatria pre prax 4/2021

Psychological profile of a morbidly obese patient interested in metabolic-bariatric surgery, case studies

Most of the research studies and clinical experience indicate that morbidly obese patients, who seek out surgical treatment, have significantly more psychological problems, pathological eating habits and worse quality of life compared to general population (also compared to obese patients without interest in surgical treatment) (1). Existing studies that focus on this topic use different assessment methods, which are not always standardised psychological tests. It is difficult to say whether psychopathology contributed to obesity or whether they intensified one another. It is also possible that the same set of etiological conditions caused morbid obesity as well as psychopathology. Based on the stated above, it is very difficult to generalise a profile of such a patient. It seems, however, that such profile exists anyway. Evidence connecting obesity with a variety of mental disorders has been gradually collected over the last couple of decades (2, 3). This article also includes case studies of patients with severe psychiatric complications in post-op period with a previous negative psychiatric anamnesis.

Keywords: obesity, bariatric surgery, psychiatry, eating disorders, psychopathology