A pilot study of body image perceptions, and attitudes toward obesity in hospitalized psychotic and non-psychotic patients.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Body image perceptions, and attitudes toward obesity were examined and compared between psychotic and non-psychotic patients with a mood disorder. METHODS: 80 psychotic patients and 36 non-psychotic patients with a mood disorder admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatric unit participated in the study. On admission, each patient completed a visual silhouettes scale of actual self and ideal self, as well as the Attitudes Toward Obese Persons (ATOP) scale. RESULTS: Analogous to the general population, psychotic and non-psychotic patients had similar body image perceptions, and experienced discrepancy between actual and ideal body image. Female patients with serious mental illness (SMI) picked a heavier actual self body image, and experienced greater discrepancy between actual and ideal body image compared to male patients with SMI. Psychotic and non-psychotic patients experienced similar mostly neutral attitudes toward obese persons, however there was a trend for depressed patients to have more negative attitudes toward obese persons compared to non-depressed patients. DISCUSSION: The presence of an acute psychotic episode did not affect body perceptions, or obesity attitudes; however depressed patients had more negative obesity attitudes. Similar to the general population, females with SMI overassessed their body size, and experienced more body dissatisfaction compared to males with SMI.