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Psychosocial Characteristics of Bariatric Surgery Candidates

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The ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

This chapter discusses the psychosocial characteristics of individuals who present for bariatric surgery. Psychosocial distress is common among those with extreme obesity and likely plays a significant role in the decision to undergo surgery as well as expectations of postoperative outcomes. A comprehensive discussion of the personality characteristics influenced by extreme obesity is exhaustive; here we focus on presenting a broad summary of some of the most relevant preoperative issues. The related literature on quality of life, body image, and sexual behavior is reviewed in Chap. 3. While we briefly discuss symptoms of depression, anxiety, and disordered eating, a more complete discussion of these clinical conditions appears in Chaps. 2 and 3. The assessment of these personality characteristics and formal diagnoses is an important part of the preoperative assessment of bariatric surgery candidates. The preoperative mental health assessment is described in detail in Chap. 5. The present chapter concludes with a discussion of the relationship between preoperative personality characteristics and related life experience and postoperative outcomes.

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Acknowledgments

Completion of this article supported, in part, by grants:

NIH Grant HL109235

NIDDK Grant 1RC1DK086132

University of Pennsylvania Diabetes Research Center Grant 2P30DK019525-36

NIH Grant R01-DK072452

NIH Grant NCT00721838

Disclosures

Dr. Sarwer has received consulting compensation from Allergan, BAROnova, EnteroMedics, and Ethicon Endo-Surgery, which are manufacturers of products for obesity. None of these entities provided financial support for his work on this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Director of Clinical Services Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    David B. Sarwer PhD

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market St., Suite 3028, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA

    Kelly C. Allison PhD

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3021, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Brooke A. Bailer PhD & Lucy F. Faulconbridge PhD

Authors
  1. David B. Sarwer PhD
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  2. Kelly C. Allison PhD
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  3. Brooke A. Bailer PhD
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  4. Lucy F. Faulconbridge PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David B. Sarwer PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. GI/Nutrition, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA

    Christopher Still

  2. Department of Weight and Eating Disorders, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    David B. Sarwer

  3. Policy Initiatives and Advocacy, American Dietetic Association, Falls Church, Virginia, USA

    Jeanne Blankenship

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Sarwer, D.B., Allison, K.C., Bailer, B.A., Faulconbridge, L.F. (2014). Psychosocial Characteristics of Bariatric Surgery Candidates. In: Still, C., Sarwer, D., Blankenship, J. (eds) The ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1197-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1197-4_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1196-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1197-4

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