Psychosocial Issues and Bariatric Surgery

Overview

Bariatric surgery is associated with long-term weight loss, as well as short-term improvements in obesity-related medical comorbidities. However, a significant proportion of patients fail to lose sufficient weight, or experience significant weight regain. Although no robust predictors of response have been identified, pilot data that will be presented and reviewed suggest that surgery has profound effects on eating behaviors and psychosocial functioning, and that these factors may affect postoperative weight control. The present investigation capitalizes on the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS) consortium to conduct an in-depth examination of the psychosocial aspects of surgery among a geographically, ethnically, and racially diverse sample of men and women undergoing bariatric surgery. This project unites experts in the areas of psychopathology, eating behaviors and quality of life to conduct a naturalistic study using state-of-the-art assessment tools; to document the relationships among psychosocial factors; and to examine psychosocial predictors of surgical outcomes.

Primary Objective. Despite the obvious impact of bariatric surgery procedures on intake, no study to date has included a careful assessment of psychological factors, feeding patterns, energy intake and eating problems in this group of patients longitudinally. The Investigators believe that a careful examination of the structure of eating behavior and eating problems (e.g. vomiting) would be very helpful in guiding bariatric surgeons and dieticians who work with this group of patients in terms of dietary advice and recommendations, and with the prediction of eating problems and poor nutrient intake in the subgroup that develops such problems. This study involves prospective assessment of psychosocial outcomes of surgery by adding a supplemental battery to the LABS-2 assessment schedule. Conducting assessments at three of the LABS clinical sites assures the geographic, ethnic, and racial diversity of the sample, and hence enhances the potential to identify a subgroup or subgroups of patients susceptible to poor outcomes after surgery and the generalizability of study results. This study would also include an evaluation of psychopathological and behavioral variables that might impact on weight loss and weight regain, and psychosocial complications post-operatively, as well as quality of life. The overall goal of this study is to obtain detailed information that will allow a careful assessment of psychopathology, quality of life and eating behavior pre-surgically and at regular intervals for up to 7 years after the surgical intervention. The Investigators believe that the instruments and procedures selected will allow a detailed examination of psychopathology, eating pathology and quality of life in detail. The Investigators believe that the measures and tasks added at year 7 will allow the examination of theories of affect regulation, cognitive control, and reward processing in understanding postsurgical outcomes regarding pathological eating behavior and alcohol/substance use and their shared similarities as well as underlying neurobiological systems.