title: Change in mental symptoms in extreme obesity patients after gastric banding, Part II: Six-year follow up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Apart from increased somatic morbidity, extreme obesity causes grave psychosocial and psychopathological problems. We examined a sample of 50 extremely adipose women (BMI < 40 kg/m2) from 2000 to 2003 to find out whether surgical reduction of stomach volume leads to lasting change in Body Mass Index (BMI), psychosocial symptoms, and health related quality of life. We found that positive changes in BMI reduction, psychosocial symptoms, and health related quality of life could be expected three years after gastric banding (Int. J Psychiatry Med 2005; 35:109-122). During the following three years, we continued to observe these patients to determine long-term effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty adipose women who had taken part in the first study from 2004 to 2006 were surveyed. Annual primary outcome measures were BMI, self-reported changes on the scales of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), and Health Survey (SF-36).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the 6-year mark, significant changes in BMI (p < 0.01), significantly increased employment (0.012) and the existence of a partnership (p < 0.01), plus significant changes on all three scales of the TFEQ (p < 0.01), on both scales of the HADS-D (anxiety: p < 0.05; depression: p < 0.011), and all scales of the SF-36 Health Survey (all p < 0.01) were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The positive changes in BMI reduction, i.e., increased employment and subjects living in a partnership, improvement in eating behavior, reduction in anxiety and depressive symptoms, and improvement in health related quality of life were also confirmed as remaining stable over a 3-year observation period, i.e., for a total of six years.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz, Austria. m.nickel@Klinik-badaussee.at
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Loew
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bachler
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004651:Employment; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss