Preoperative psychiatric assessment in candidates for bariatric surgery: an integrative review

Abstract

Introduction: The bariatric surgery, although very effective for obesity treatment, does not treat the psychological dysfunctions that contributed to the development of obesity. Therefore, a multidisciplinary treatment, aiming to treat not only the biological part, but the individual as a whole, can be decisive for the success of the procedure. Objective: To analyze the importance of psychiatric assessment before bariatric surgery. Methods: The study is an integrative review conducted in PubMed, LILACs, BVS and SciELO databases between September and November 2021. The descriptors used were: "Psychiatry" OR "Psychology" AND "Bariatric Surgery". 720 studies were found, of which only 22 matched the research theme according to the selection by the abstract and the full text. Results: Studies demonstrate that the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in bariatric candidates is higher than the general population. Furthermore, it is noted that the lack of standardization psychiatric evaluation before bariatric surgery, which can make detection difficult the diagnosis of psychopathologies for a later psychiatric intervention. Conclusion: To improve the bariatric surgery prognosis, it is beneficial that the psychiatric care be made in standardized way, enabling the identification of psychopathology that can negatively influence success of the procedure.

Keywords

• bariatric surgery
• psychiatry
• preoperative care