Psychological well-being in a sample of obese patients compared with a control group

Abstract

Introduction: The literature has found that obese patients usually report more depression and anxiety than normal weight individuals. However, not many investigations have studied the relationship between obesity and quality of life from a Positive Psychology approach. Objective: In this study it is analyzed if obese patients have less psychological well-being than a control group (normal weight participants). Method: A total of 221 participants (111 obese individuals and 110 controls) were selected to conduct the study. To measure psychological well-being, the Spanish version of the Ryff's Scales was used. To measure mental health, the Spanish version of the mental health component of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) was used. Results: It was found that obese participants reported less psychological well-being than normal weight individuals, but that there were not statistically significant differences in the case of mental health measured with the SF-36. Discussion: According to the results, it can be concluded that reports of psychological well-being problems were much more common in participants with weight problems than in the control group.

Keywords

• Obesidad
• Bienestar psicológico
• Salud mental
• SF-36