Psychological and/or psychiatric factors present in patients who abandoned the preparation protocol for bariatric surgery

Abstract

Introduction

Severe obesity is the chronic disease with the highest prevalence around the world. It affects the life quality of patients in terms of physical and mental health. Although there are a variety of treatments for severe obesity, dropout rates are between 40% to 80%.

Objective

To identify the psychological and/or psychiatric factors presented in the initial evaluation of patients with severe obesity who deserted the preparation protocol for bariatric surgery and stablish differences between them and those who didn’t defected.

Method

An analytical observational open study of cases (deserters) and controls (non deserters), retrospective, transversal, with a sample of 286 files of patients candidates for bariatric surgery from General Hospital “Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez” in Mexico City selected by simple random sampling fulfilling desertion variable, with a BMI of 44.77 kg/m² ± 7.47 and 37.45 ± 9.94 years old and were selected by non-probabilistic convenience sample.

Results

Significant differences were found: gender (men drop out more), deserters patients showed a higher prevalence in post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, binge eating, isolation, impaired cognitive function and greater family and social dysfunction than non-deserters. A multivariate analysis of these factors showed that being male, having little social support, present a binge eating disorder, have a greater number of absences to appointments during treatment, are factors contributing to attrition.

Discussion and conclusion

There are psychological/psychiatric variables that could be established as risk factors for dropping out, increasing the possibility of affecting the patient’s physical and emotional well-being.