WASHINGTON — Almost one-third of adolescents approved for bariatric surgery reported using psychotropic medications, but the use of substances was lower than expected, according to data from 82 subjects collected as part of a larger longitudinal study.
“Some of the worst consequences of extreme obesity are psychosocial,” Meg H. Zeller, Ph.D., a psychologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said at the annual scientific meeting of the Obesity Society.
Longitudinal psychosocial assessment helps document changes associated with bariatric surgery and identify factors that might predict optimal mental and physical health in adolescents after surgery, she said.
To determine the baseline psychosocial characteristics of teens undergoing bariatric surgery, Dr. Zeller and her colleagues reviewed data from adolescents aged 19 years and younger within 30 days before surgery. The average age of the members in study group was 17 years, and the average body mass index was 56 kg/m
The researchers used several validated questionnaires, including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life–Kids (IWQOL-Kids), and the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns–Revised (QEWP-R). The adolescents also responded to questions about substance use and use of mental health services within the previous 12 months.
Overall, 76% of the adolescents reported depressive symptoms based on the BDI. Based the QEWP-R, 11% met screening criteria for binge eating disorder and 6% reported alcohol use, Dr. Zeller said. But 31% reported use of a psychotropic medication, 28% were taking antidepressants, and 11% were taking mood stabilizers. In addition, data from IWQOL-Kids showed significant and global impairments in weight-related quality of life issues.
The low use of drugs and alcohol in the study population may reflect less exposure to peer contacts and peer pressure because of the patients' extreme weight, and it's not unusual for very obese adolescents to be home schooled, Dr. Zeller noted.
“What is critical and ongoing is our follow-up, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery,” Dr. Zeller added.
The adolescents are part of the ongoing Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS). Teen-LABS includes five clinical centers collaborating to facilitate studies of bariatric surgery in adolescents, and to study the causes and effects of severe obesity in teens, according to the Web site, www.teen-LABS.org
Disclosures: The study was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.