Prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders among bariatric surgery patients

The Prevalence and Consequence of Depression After Bariatric Surgery Among Adults in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgery is a commonly performed group of procedures for individuals with severe obesity, and its impact on mental health, particularly depression, has gained significant attention. In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence and consequences of depression following bariatric surgery among adults is an area of growing concern. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression after bariatric surgery and estimate the consequences of depression after bariatric surgery.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults in Saudi Arabia who had undergone bariatric surgery. The participants were recruited from different bariatric surgery centers across the country. The data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire that had three main sections, including demographic information, clinical characteristics, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression.

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that among adults in Saudi Arabia who had undergone bariatric surgery, the prevalence of depression was high. Of the participants, 23.5% were found to have depression after bariatric surgery. This high prevalence suggests that depression is a significant consequence of bariatric surgery.

CONCLUSION

A high number of adults in Saudi Arabia experience depression after bariatric surgery. This shows a need for mental health checks and support before and after the surgery. With mental healthcare as a regular part of bariatric programs, patients would have a better chance of success and overall well-being. More research is needed to understand why depression happens after surgery and how to prevent it.

The Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in Post-bariatric Surgery Patients at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh

Background Obesity negatively impacts mental and physical health and is a leading cause of disease worldwide. Obesity affects 33% of Saudi adults, with 10% being morbidly obese (body mass index, BMI >40 kg/m²). This study explored the association between bariatric surgery (BS) and a predisposition or exacerbation of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Material and methods A cross-sectional study of patients who underwent bariatric surgery at the King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was conducted between February 2016 and December 2021. The patients were contacted by phone to complete a self-administered questionnaire on demographic information, chronic medical diseases, psychiatric diseases, body mass index, and type of bariatric surgery. In addition, they completed the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and general anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire to screen for patients' depression and anxiety symptoms. Results The findings of the 367 BS patients showed that 20.7% of the patients were considered to have mild anxiety, 11.2% had moderate anxiety, and 8.7% had high anxiety levels. However, regarding depression, 46.9% had extremely low levels of depression, followed by mild depression in 29.4% and moderate depression in 11.2%. Furthermore, another 8.2% of BS patients had moderately high depression levels, and 4.4% had severe depression. The anxiety and depression levels of the patients in this study did not show any statistically significant changes postoperatively in the short, medium, or long term. On the other hand, almost all of the patients 97% who underwent bariatric surgery were satisfied with the outcome of their surgery. Conclusion Few BS patients had high symptoms of depression and anxiety. We recommend pre- and postoperative psychiatric assessment for all bariatric surgery patients as surgical protocol.

Prevalence and Outcomes of Depression After Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Surgeons often focus on weight loss and improvement of obesity-related conditions as a primary outcome after bariatric surgery. However, the success of bariatric surgery also relies on the improvement of mental health status. Therefore, the current meta-analysis was carried out to reveal the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their subsequent impact on bariatric surgery outcomes. This study was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist and the recommendation of Cochrane Collaboration. All clinical studies reporting the prevalence and/or the outcomes of depression after bariatric surgery were included in the current meta-analysis. This meta-analysis encompassed 33 articles, including a total of 101,223 patients. The prevalence of post-bariatric surgery depression was 15.3% (95% confidence intervals {CI}: 15.0-15.5%, p<0.001) among which severe, moderate, and minimal depression accounted for 1.9% (95% CI: 1.5-2.4%, p<0.001), 5.1% (95% CI: 4.4-5.8%, p<0.001), and 64.9% (95% CI: 63.3-66.5%, p<0.001), respectively. Depression is negatively correlated with weight loss (correlation -0.135; 95% CI: -0.176 to 0.093; p<0.001) and positively correlated with eating disorder (correlation 0.164; 95% CI: 0.079-0.248; p<0.001). The prevalence of post-bariatric surgery depression is relatively high reaching up to 64.9%, with almost one in five patients affected by it. Depression is associated with weight regain, eating disorders, and quality of life.