title: Psychopathological similarities and differences between obese patients seeking surgical and non-surgical overweight treatments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the psychopathological characteristics of obese patients seeking bariatric surgery with those seeking a medical approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 394 consecutive outpatients seeking bariatric surgery were compared with 683 outpatients seeking a medical treatment. All patients were referred to the same institution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obesity surgery patients reported higher body mass index (BMI), objective/subjective binging and more severe general psychopathology, while obesity medical patients showed more eating and body shape concerns. Depression was associated with higher BMI among obesity surgery clinic patients, whereas eating-specific psychopathology was associated with higher BMI and objective binge-eating frequency among obesity medical clinic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients seeking bariatric surgery showed different psychopathological features compared with those seeking a non-surgical approach. This suggests the importance for clinicians to consider that patients could seek bariatric surgery on the basis of the severity of the psychological distress associated with their morbid obesity, rather than criteria only based on clinical indication.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Unit, Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, Florence University School of Medicine, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellini
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Godini
authors.forename: Silvia Gorini
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Amedei
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alpigiano
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mugnaini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veltri
authors.forename: Alessandra H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Rellini
authors.forename: Carlo Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rotella
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faravelli
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucchese
authors.forename: Valdo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ricca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D011599:Psychopathology; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs