Do patients seeking laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery differ from those seeking gastric bypass surgery? A comparison of psychological profiles across ethnic groups.
BACKGROUND
Understanding presurgical psychological functioning is important in determining whether patients may benefit from psychological support before or after undergoing bariatric surgery. However, few studies have directly explored whether presurgical psychosocial profiles differ for patients presenting for different bariatric surgeries and what, if any, impact ethnic background might have. The present study compared presurgical depressive symptomatology, binge eating symptoms, and psychopathology in Caucasian and African American laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) and gastric bypass (RYGB) patients.


METHODS
Patients (n=272) presenting for either LAGB or RYGB surgery completed self-report measures of depressive symptomatology (BDI), binge eating symptoms (BES), and psychopathology/personality (PAI) as part of the presurgical psychological evaluation.


RESULTS
RYGB patients endorsed more depressive symptomatology, binge eating symptoms, somatic complaints, and antisocial features than LAGB patients, though higher BMI in the RYGB patients accounted for differences in binge eating symptoms. When the sample was examined by ethnic group, LAGB-RYGB differences were found only in African American, and not Caucasian, patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychosocial profiles appear to differ for African American patients presenting for LAGB and RYGB surgeries; however, some of these differences are accounted for by differences in presurgical BMI. Gaining a better understanding of the initial psychological characteristics of bariatric surgery candidates may improve clinicians' abilities to identify and address specific areas of concern for these patients.
Hood
Megan M
MM
Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1653 West Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Megan_Hood@rush.edu
Corsica
Joyce A
JA
Azarbad
Leila
L
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000208:ethnology; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000523:psychology*; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D057566:Self Report; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*