Psychiatric symptoms in clients presenting for commercial weight reduction treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence and severity of psychiatric symptoms in a group of clients presenting to a commercial weight reduction program, compared with a group of patients seeking outpatient medical treatment.


METHODS
Sixty-six clients presenting for commercial weight loss treatment and 52 patients presenting for general outpatient medical treatment were given self-report measures of anxiety (Spielberger State and Trait Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), body dissatisfaction (Body Shape Questionnaire), and overall impairment in functioning (Sheehan Disability Scale).


RESULTS
Weight loss clients had significantly higher rates of depressive symptomatology and psychosocial disability than patients presenting for medical treatment. Weight loss clients were also more likely to demonstrate body dissatisfaction regardless of actual weight. Levels of anxiety were not significantly different, despite the medical group reporting themselves to be in poorer health as compared with the weight loss group.


CONCLUSIONS
Regular screening for psychiatric symptoms in clients presenting for commercial weight reduction treatment may be valuable as this group may constitute an as yet unidentified cohort requiring psychiatric intervention.
Goldstein
L T
LT
New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center, Payne Whitney Clinic, New York, USA.
Goldsmith
S J
SJ
Anger
K
K
Leon
A C
AC
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D001828:Body Image; D003132:Commerce; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015431:Weight Loss