Bariatric surgery associated with increased risk of depression

Bariatric surgery is associated with an increased incidence of depression, indicate findings from a recent study.

The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, found that obese patients receiving bariatric surgery are at higher risk of developing depression following the procedure compared with controls regardless of the presence or absence of depression prior to surgery.

Isaac Kohane, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, and colleagues conducted the study to determine the impact of bariatric surgery on the subsequent diagnosis of depression.

The researchers evaluated depression risk based on diagnostic codes. An administrative database containing records and observations between 1 January 2008 through 29 February 2016 of enrolled patients in the US was utilized for this study. 777,140 individuals considered in this analysis were enrolled in a commercial health insurance program for at least 6 months prior to surgery.

Also Read: Mental illness does not affect bariatric surgery weight loss results

They found that:

• Bariatric surgery was found to be significantly associated with subsequent depression relative to both non-surgery controls and non-bariatric abdominal surgery controls.


• Patients with pre-surgical psychiatric screening had a reduced depression hazard ratio with respect to patients without.


• Men were found to be more susceptible to post-bariatric surgery depression compared with women.


• Pre-surgical psychiatric evaluations reduced the magnitude of this effect.


• Relative to bariatric surgeries as a whole, vertical sleeve gastrectomy had a lower incidence of depression, while Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass and revision/removal surgeries had higher rates.

Also Read: Weight loss surgery has long term benefits in sexual function and sexual satisfaction

"In individuals without a history of depression, bariatric surgery is associated with subsequent diagnosis of depression. This study provides guidance for patients considering bariatric surgery and their clinicians in terms of evaluating potential risks and benefits of surgery," concluded the authors.

For further reference log on to https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-019-0364-6