RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Past research indicated high psychiatric comorbidity and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity. This study investigated if preoperative bariatric surgery patients perceive equally poor HRQOL and increased levels of anxiety and depression as mentally ill patients. METHODS: The study included four groups: 192 bariatric surgery candidates (PRE, 71% women, BMI 48.35 ± 8.98 kg/m2), 96 psychotherapy inpatients with mental disorders (PSY, 77% women, BMI 27.12 ± 9.17 kg/m2), 103 postoperative bariatric surgery patients (POST, 78% women, BMI 30.38 ± 2.88 kg/m2), and a convenience sample of 96 non-clinical volunteers with pre-obesity or obesity grade 1 (CG, 52% women, BMI 29.22 ± 2.64 kg/m2). HRQOL was measured using the 12-item short form health survey (SF-12), and psychopathology was assessed with the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). RESULTS: The PRE group exhibited the lowest physical HRQOL, and the PSY group the lowest mental HRQOL. The highest mental/physical HRQOL was reported by the POST group and the CG, without significant differences between these two groups. While the PSY group scored higher on HADS-anxiety scale than the PRE group, neither group differed with regards to symptoms of depression. The lowest levels of HADS-depression were found in the POST group and the CG. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that bariatric surgery candidates may suffer from equally high levels of depression as psychotherapy inpatients, but they perceive better mental well-being. Routine mental health evaluation should incorporate assessments for both psychopathology and HRQOL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: DRKS00009901.
