Psychological symptoms in people presenting for weight management.
BACKGROUND
Elevated levels of psychopathology have been described in various groups of obese patients. This study aimed to describe the presence of depressive and binge eating symptoms in patients presented for clinical weight management at a general hospital in Singapore, as well as their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Correlations between these symptoms and other demographic and clinical variables were also sought.


METHODS
Patients presented at a clinical weight management programme were asked to complete the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Binge Eating Scale (BES) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Clinical and demographic data were also collected.


RESULTS
Of the group, 17.1% reported moderate or severe binge eating symptoms and 9.7% reported moderate or severe depressive symptoms. HRQOL, mostly in physical health domains, was lower in this sample compared to local norms. Within the group, binge eating and depressive symptoms, but not increasing obesity, predicted poorer HRQOL.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychological symptoms are significantly present in patients presented for clinical weight management and these contribute to poorer quality of life. Addressing these symptoms will improve the overall well-beings of these patients and the total benefits gained will exceed the benefits of weight loss per se.
Department of Psychological Medicine, Changi General Hospital, 2 Simei Street 3, Singapore. cheryl_loh@cgh.com.sg
Cheryl B
CB
Loh
Yiong Huak
YH
Chan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult