Personality psychopathology: Longitudinal prediction of change in body mass index and weight post-bariatric surgery

Should presurgical psychological evaluations still be a mandated requirement for metabolic and bariatric surgery? A critique of the literature and thoughts on future directions

For more than 30 years, clinical practice guidelines for the perioperative support of patients who undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery have recommended a formal psychological evaluation before surgery. However, the predictive utility of the evaluation in determining future outcomes has been mixed, leading to controversy regarding whether such evaluations should be required for all potential patients. This empirically based commentary will review the utility and value of the psychological evaluation in addition to the limitations in the extant literature that reduce predictive validity and provide recommendations on how to improve quality of the empirical literature and refinements to increase the utility of preoperative evaluations. Pre-metabolic and bariatric surgery psychological evaluation conducted by an appropriately trained clinician and properly reimbursed by the payor that includes time for psychological testing, integration of data, report writing, medical record review, and feedback to the patient and surgical team, should continue to be the standard of care as it benefits all stakeholders.

Pre-operative body shape concerns moderate excess weight loss trajectory in bariatric surgery patients: a 2-year longitudinal study

PURPOSE

The main research aim was to inspect whether pre-operative body shape concerns and discomfort as Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) scores moderate post-operative weight loss trajectory in bariatric patients.

METHODS

Two studies were conducted. Study 1 analyzed cross-sectional data and verified the structural validity of the 34-item BSQ questionnaire on a sample of 327 candidates for bariatric surgery. Study 2 examined longitudinal data, with objective Body Mass Index (BMI) recorded every 6 months, from surgery intervention on, with 5 measurement occasions, from 111 patients who initially completed BSQ as bariatric surgery candidates and then underwent periodic medical post-operative follow-ups, over 2 years.

RESULTS

In Study 1, confirmatory factor analysis of a single-dimension model yielded acceptable fit indices and high internal consistency levels. Study 2 showed that post-operative excess BMI reduction trend was not linear and pre-operative BSQ scores moderated it, with a higher risk of weight regain in patients who initially were less concerned with their body shape.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings support the structural validity of the BSQ questionnaire in bariatric candidates and call attention on the role of pre-operative body shape concerns on post-operative weight loss trajectories over 2 years, in accordance with a pathoplasty model. They suggest the need for systematic attention on perceived body image and psychological paths aimed to help bariatric patients regain positive attitudes towards their own body. Level of evidence III, well-designed cohort.

Psychometric Properties of the WBIS/M in a Representative Prebariatric Sample: Evidence for an Improved 10-Item Version

INTRODUCTION

The Weight Bias Internalization Scale and the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale are well-established self-report questionnaires for assessing weight bias internalization, which is widespread among bariatric patients. However, among this group, psychometric properties of the Weight Bias Internalization Scale have only been examined in small samples showing unsatisfactory model fit and have not been explored for the modified questionnaire.

METHODS

This study psychometrically evaluated and compared the Weight Bias Internalization Scale and Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale in a large sample of prebariatric patients (N = 825, mean age = 46.75 years, SD = 11.55) regarding item characteristics, model fit to unidimensionality, reliability, construct validity, and measurement invariance.

RESULTS

Item 4 of both questionnaires showed low corrected item-total correlations (<0.40) and was therefore removed from the scales. The new 10-item versions showed improved item characteristics, internal consistency, model fit to unidimensionality, and convergent and divergent validity when compared to the 11-item versions. The best psychometric properties were found for the 10-item version of the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale.

CONCLUSION

The 10-item version of the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale surpasses the other versions studied in all psychometric properties. Therefore, it should be used in prebariatric patients to detect weight bias internalization and provide them with psychological interventions that could improve bariatric surgery outcomes.

Use of Broadband Personality Tests in Bariatric Surgery: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION

Studies have reported significant associations between personality scales of broadband psychometric testing to bariatric surgical outcomes; however, the literature falls short in outlining how these instruments can be best utilized to optimize weight loss milestones after surgery. The purpose of this scoping review is to analyze the literature utilizing broadband personality tests in the bariatric surgical population with relation to weight loss outcomes to identify gaps in research and summarize results to guide American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery practices and future research.

METHODS

Six databases were searched for broadband personality assessments, bariatric surgery, and weight loss outcomes terms. Studies included were peer-reviewed, published in English, and compared psychological assessments and weight loss outcomes.

RESULTS

Five hundred nineteen studies were reviewed, with 20 included in the full-text analysis. Studies used at least one of six defined broadband personality assessments. Elevated scores for depression were associated with lower weight loss with three of the assessments. Anxiety was inconsistently associated with postoperative weight loss, but this may be dependent on follow-up time CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative broadband personality assessments may support identifying behaviors that help patients reach their postoperative weight loss goals. Inconsistencies in the reporting of weight loss outcome measures across the literature make it difficult to draw significant conclusions. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery recommends standardization of outcome reporting, further highlighting a need in research to identify scales that are consistent predictors of weight loss outcomes.

Psychopathological profile before and after bariatric surgery

Presurgical psychopathological assessment usually focuses on detecting severe mental disorders. However, mild intensity psychopathology and eating behaviour pattern may also influence postsurgical outcomes. The aim was to identify psychopathology and eating behaviour pattern in candidates prepared for bariatric surgery compared to a normative population before and after surgery. A cohort of 32 patients seeking bariatric surgery in a university hospital between March 2016 and March 2017 were evaluated with Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), 36-item EDE-Q and BES before and after surgery. Thirty-two patients before and 26 one year after surgery were included. The PAI presurgical psychometric profile suggested a mild mixed adjustment disorder focused on somatic complaints. After surgery, patients improved in somatic complaints (p < 0.001), and depression (p = 0.04). Related eating disorders were more common than those of the normative group and improved significantly after surgery in scores for compulsive intake (BES p < 0.001) and overall key behaviours of eating disorders and related cognitive symptoms (EDE-Q/G p < 0.001). In our cohort ready for bariatric surgery a mild psychopathological profile is still present and becomes closer to that of the normative group after surgery. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of mild psychopathology on outcomes after bariatric surgery.

Eating disorders and emotional dysregulation are associated with insufficient weight loss after bariatric surgery: a 1-year observational follow-up study

PURPOSE

Subjects with obesity, especially those seeking bariatric surgery, exhibit high rates of mental disorders and marked psychopathological traits. The primary objective of this prospective, non-interventional study was to investigate whether the presence of different psychiatric disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology and emotional dysregulation influenced weight loss at 1-year follow-up after surgery.

METHODS

Subjects consecutively referred for pre-surgical evaluation at the Obesity Center of Pisa University Hospital were recruited. Psychiatric diagnoses were made through the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and ADHD symptomatology was assessed with the Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (WRAADDS). Emotional dysregulation was investigated through the WRAADDS and self-report questionnaires. After surgery, weight and obesity-related comorbidities were monitored during follow-up.

RESULTS

Of the 99 participants recruited, 76 underwent surgery and 65 could be reevaluated 1 year after surgery. Subjects with insufficient weight loss (excess body mass index loss ≤ 53%, n = 15) had more frequent lifetime binge eating disorder (BED) and BED-mood disorders comorbidity than subjects with favorable post-surgical outcome. Additionally, they scored higher on both physician-administered and self-report scales assessing emotional dysregulation, which represents a nuclear symptom of ADHD in adults. At the logistic regression analysis, older age, higher preoperative excess body mass index and greater affective instability were predictors of reduced weight loss at 1-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Emotional dysregulation seems to be associated with a worse outcome after bariatric surgery. Further studies with larger samples and longer follow-up are needed to confirm the influence of different psychiatric disorders and psychopathological traits on post-surgical outcome.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V, prospective descriptive study.

Psychosocial Aspects of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeries and Endoscopic Therapies

Obesity is a prevalent progressive and relapsing disease for which there are several levels of intervention, including metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) and now endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies (EBMTs). Preoperative psychological assessment focused on cognitive status, psychiatric symptoms, eating disorders, social support, and substance use is useful in optimizing patient outcomes and minimizing risks in MBS. Very little is known about the psychosocial needs of patients seeking EBMTs, though these investigations will be forthcoming if these therapies become more widespread. As MBS and EBMT inherently alter the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, considerations for the longer-term GI functioning of the patient are relevant and should be considered and monitored.

Psychopathology and eating behaviour in people with type 2 diabetes referred for bariatric surgery

PURPOSE

Psychopathology and disordered eating behaviours are putative pre-operative risk factors for suboptimal outcomes post-bariatric surgery. Documented psychopathology prevalence rates vary in bariatric candidate samples. Further, less attention has been paid to vulnerable subgroups such as people with diabetes who might be at an elevated risk. For these reasons, this study aimed to investigate the rates of psychopathology and disordered eating in pre-surgical candidates with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

Participants were 401 consecutive patients from a state-wide bariatric surgery service for people with T2DM. Psychopathology was measured using multi-modal assessment including diagnostic interview and battery of validated questionnaires. The mean age of the sample was 51 years with a mean BMI of 46 kg/m2. The majority of the sample was female (60.6%), born in Australia (87%) and 18.2% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

RESULTS

Rates of current psychopathology in this sample included: major depressive disorder (MDD; 16.75%), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD; 20.25%), insomnia (17.75%) and binge eating disorder (BED; 10.75%). There were no significant differences on measures between people who endorsed Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status compared to those who did not endorse. The mean total score on the BES was 21.82 ± 10.40 (range 0-39), with 8.2% of participants meeting criteria for severe binge eating. Presence of an eating disorder was not significantly associated with degree of glycemic compensation. Average emotional eating scores were significantly higher in this study, compared to reference samples. Significantly increased binge eating severity and emotional eating severity was revealed for people with T2DM and comorbid MDD, social anxiety and eating disorders. Binge eating severity was associated with GAD, food addiction, substance use disorders, and history of suicide attempt but not emotional eating severity.

CONCLUSION

Amongst people with T2DM seeking bariatric surgery, MDD, GAD and emotional eating were common. Psychopathology in a sample of people with T2DM seeking bariatric surgery was significantly associated with severity of disordered eating. These findings suggest people with T2DM seeking bariatric surgery may be vulnerable to psychopathology and disordered eating with implications for early identification and intervention.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Evidence obtained from cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Implementation of the DSM-5 and ICD-11 Dimensional Models of Maladaptive Personality Traits Into Pre-bariatric Assessment

Background: Personality pathology does not have to be a contraindication to a bariatric surgery if a proper pre-surgical assessment is done. Indicating subgroups of patients with their specific needs could help tailor interventions and improve surgical treatment outcomes. Objectives: Using the Alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorders (AMPD) and the ICD-11 model for PDs to detect subgroups of patients with obesity based on a specific constellation of maladaptive personality traits and the level of overall personality impairment. Methods: 272 consecutively consented patients who underwent a standard pre-surgical psychological assessment. The majority were women (58.0%), age range was 22-79 years (M = 48.06, SD = 10.70). Patients' average body mass index (BMI) was 43.95 kg/m². All participants were administered the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) from which Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Self Report (LPFS-SR) and Standardized Assessment of Severity of Personality Disorder (SASPD) scores were gained using the "crosswalk" for common metric for self-reported severity of personality disorder. The k-means clustering method was used to define specific subgroups of patients with obesity and replicated for equality testing to the samples of non-clinical respondents and psychiatric patients. Results: The cluster analysis detected specific groups in the sample of patients with obesity, which differed quantitatively from the samples of non-clinical respondents and psychiatric patients. A vast majority of patients with obesity showed above-average values in most of the PID-5 facets compared to the United States representative general community sample. In two out of the three clusters defined, patients demonstrated moderate (> M + 1.5 × SD) to severe (> M + 2.0 × SD) personality psychopathology within the Detachment and Negative Affectivity domains according to PID-5, which in one of the clusters corresponded to the mild overall impairment in both, LPFS-SR (M = 2.18, SD = 0.27) and SASPD (M = 8.44, SD = 2.38). Moreover, higher levels of psychopathology prove to be associated with higher age and use of psychiatric medication. Conclusions: The dimensional DSM-5 and ICD-11 trait models are suitable procedures for defining specific "characters" of patients in a pre-bariatric setting. As such, they help to identify subgroups of patients with obesity who are different from general population and psychiatric patients. Implications for clinical practice and further research are discussed.

Restriction of range effects in post-metabolic and bariatric surgery outcomes research: considerations for clinical decision making

BACKGROUND

Preoperative psychopathology does not consistently predict postoperative outcomes in patients who undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). Individuals with elevated pre-MBS psychopathology may be less likely to undergo surgery, which may create a floor effect given the limited range of scores on measures of psychopathology included in postoperative analyses, thereby decreasing the power to detect clinically significant differences between groups.

OBJECTIVES

Our objective was to compare rates of clinically significant pre-MBS psychopathology across domains of functioning in patients who did and did not undergo MBS: surgical completers (SCs, n = 286) and nonsurgical completers (NSCs, n = 125).

SETTING

Academic medical center, United States.

METHODS

Participants (n = 411) were a racially diverse sample of MBS candidates who completed a preoperative psychosocial evaluation including measures of disordered eating, alcohol and tobacco use, pain catastrophizing, anxiety, and depressive symptomatology.

RESULTS

Compared with SCs, NSCs had larger scale score variance on measures of psychopathology and were more likely to be Black; to report clinically significant scores on measures of binge eating, depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing; and to use tobacco.

CONCLUSION

Results support the presence of a restriction-of-range effect but do not demonstrate a floor effect. These data suggest that current outcome data for MBS patients may not generalize to those who report clinically significant psychopathology at the pre-MBS psychosocial evaluation and may warrant caution when using the current literature to inform clinical decision making for this group. Findings also suggest a need for interventions that will better engage Black patients.

Psychosocial and behavioral correlates of weight loss 12 to 15 years after bariatric surgery

While significant weight loss occurs post-bariatric surgery, partial weight regain is common. Psychological and dispositional variables have been examined as predictors of weight change, but most studies have focused on the relationship of preoperative constructs to shorter-term postoperative outcomes. The goal of the current study was to examine associations between weight loss and postoperative psychosocial and behavioral factors up to an average of 13.7 years after surgery. The current study was conducted at a large bariatric center in a Midwestern U.S. city. The sample was comprised of 125 adult patients who participated in the second wave of a long-term bariatric surgery outcome study, examining weight history, physical activity, and psychological health and functioning. Correlations between percent total weight loss (%TWL) and psychosocial and behavioral variables were examined. The variables that had significant correlations with %TWL were used in stepwise linear regressions to determine their contribution to %TWL. These same variables were tested to determine differences among those in the highest and lowest weight loss quartiles. Life satisfaction, conscientiousness, positive affect, and regular exercise were positively associated with weight loss in the entire sample and were significantly higher among those in the highest versus the lowest weight-loss quartile. Experiencing a stressful event and food addiction symptoms were negatively associated with weight loss. Positive affect, fewer food addiction symptoms, and regular exercise significantly predicted weight loss, accounting for 23% of the variance in %TWL. Long-term weight loss maintenance after bariatric surgery may be related to positive affect, conscientiousness, regular physical activity, and an addictive-type relationship with food. Future studies should explore these relationships and develop approaches to deal with the interaction between dispositional tendencies and lifestyle factors.

Preoperative Psychological Assessment and Weight Loss Outcomes in Bariatric Surgery Patients at a Military Treatment Facility: A Retrospective Profile Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Research on effectiveness of preoperative psychological measures as predictors of weight loss success and weight regain following bariatric surgery has been inconsistent. Despite mixed findings, preoperative psychological assessment instruments are used routinely, including in military medical facilities. Health concerns associated with obesity potentially impact military family readiness, with accompanying utilization of medical resources. Examining psychological factors associated with successful bariatric surgery outcomes may help to optimize care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective, observational study sought to identify characteristic elevations on two recommended preoperative psychological assessment instruments for bariatric surgery candidates: the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and the Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic (MBMD). Additionally, profile analysis was performed on assessment scales based on groupings of whether or not patients (N = 194) met their ideal BMI over a 60-month period. The Institutional Review Board at Madigan Army Medical Center approved this study protocol.

RESULTS

Means and standard deviations for PAI and the MBMD are presented for this sample of benefits-eligible patients in the military health system. Measures between bariatric outcome groups were not significantly different, but characteristic elevations for bariatric surgery candidates overall were identified.

CONCLUSION

The average elevations of scales were not above clinical cutoff, but still indicate characteristic trends in patients undergoing surgery at an MTF. These scales may be important to attend to with bariatric surgery candidates, especially scales which are related to psychopathology, treatment prognosis, and treatment management. Study results about scale elevations on preoperative psychological assessment instruments may help patients better manage bariatric surgery and can lead to enhanced warfighter readiness and decreased utilization of healthcare resources. Future work should examine postoperative behavioral and psychological factors, as the adjustment to lifestyle limitations of bariatric surgery is substantial.

Feasibility and Clinical Usefulness of the Unified Protocol in Online Group Format for Bariatric Surgery Candidates: Study Protocol for a Multiple Baseline Experimental Design

Obesity is currently becoming a serious global public health problem due to its high prevalence and continuous increase. This condition is associated with different physical and mental health problems. The presence of emotional disorders (anxiety, depression and related disorders) among candidates for bariatric surgery is very high and predicts worse physical and psychological results. The present study aims to explore the feasibility and clinical usefulness of the Unified Protocol, a transdiagnostic emotion regulation-based intervention, delivered in an online group format to patients with emotional disorder diagnosis or symptoms, who are waiting for bariatric surgery. We will conduct a pilot study with a repeated single-case experimental design (multiple baseline design) in a public mental health service. The sample will consist of 60 participants, who will be randomized to three baseline conditions: 8, 12 or 15 evaluation days before the intervention. Diagnostic criteria, symptomatology and body mass index are the primary outcome measures, and we will include affectivity, personality, quality of life, body image, eating behavior and surgical complications like secondary measures. An analysis of treatment satisfaction will be also performed. Assessment points will include pre-treatment, baseline, treatment, post-treatment, and follow-ups every three months until two years after post-treatment. The results obtained in this study may have important clinical, social and economic implications for public mental health.