title: Quitting a weight loss program is associated with anhedonia: preliminary findings of the Lifestyle Intervention Treatment Evaluation Study in northern Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether a diagnosis for major depression, chronic depression or specific symptoms of depression is associated with the risk of quitting a weight loss program.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 82 overweight adults participating in the Lifestyle Intervention Treatment Evaluation (LITE) follow-up study at Oulu University Hospital in northern Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychiatric diagnostic assessments were based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSMIV disorders (SCID-I) conducted by a clinical psychiatrist. Anhedonia (lack of pleasure) was assessed as one of the core symptoms of major depression and chronic depression (dysthymia). Anhedonia was defined to be present if the participants reported having suffered a major loss of interest during the previous month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty participants (24.4%) quit during the 6-month intervention period. Anhedonia put individuals at risk of quitting the weight loss program (bivariate analysis OR 3.1, 95% CI 0.8-11.6, p=0.091, multivariate analysis OR 6.5, 95% CI 1.1-38.2, p=0.038). However, a diagnosis for major depression or chronic depression did not predict quitting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individual assessments of obesity and overweight should also include an assessment for subthreshold depression, mainly anhedonia.
authors.affiliation: University of Oulu, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Psychiatry, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komulainen
authors.forename: Anna-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Keränen
authors.forename: Elsi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rasinaho
authors.forename: Helinä
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hakko
authors.forename: Markku J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Savolainen
authors.forename: Mona-Lisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kujari
authors.forename: Annakaisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reponen
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindeman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D015431:Weight Loss