Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in young adults 5 years after undergoing bariatric surgery as adolescents

• Published in: Eating and weight disorders Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 1211 - 1221
• Main Authors: Järvholm, Kajsa, Olbers, Torsten, Peltonen, Markku, Marcus, Claude, Flodmark, Carl-Erik, Gronowitz, Eva, Dahlgren, Jovanna, Karlsson, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.05.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anxiety; Bariatric surgery; Clinical Medicine; Depression; Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi; Gastrointestinal surgery; Health Sciences; Hälsovetenskap; Klinisk medicin; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Mental health; Obesity; Obesity surgery and eating and weight disorders; Original; Original Article; Pediatrics; Pediatrik; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psykiatri; Psykologi; Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology; Samhällsvetenskap; Social Sciences; Suicidal ideation; Teenagers; Young adults; Obesity; Depression; Anxiety; Suicidal ideation; Bariatric surgery; Adolescent
• ISSN: 1590-1262; 1124-4909; 1590-1262
• DOI: 10.1007/s40519-020-01024-0

Purpose Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is increasingly used in adolescents. The aim was to explore symptoms of depression and anxiety in young adults over 5 years’ follow-up after undergoing MBS. Methods Beck Depression Inventory-2 and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to assess symptoms of depression and anxiety in 62 patients 1, 2, and 5 years after having Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at 13–18 years of age. Mental health, eating-related problems, and weight outcomes were tested for association with suicidal ideation at the 5-year follow-up. Results At the 5-year follow-up, the mean score for depression was 11.4 (± 12.4), indicating minimal symptoms of depression. The mean score for anxiety was 12.82 (± 11.50), indicating mild anxiety symptoms. Still, several participants reported moderate or severe symptoms of depression (26%) and anxiety (32%). Women reported more symptoms than men ( P  = 0.03 and 0.04). No significant changes were found in self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety between the 1-year and the 5-year follow-up ( P  = 0.367 and 0.934). Suicidal ideation was reported by 16% at the 5-year follow-up. Participants reporting suicidal ideation had lost significantly less excess weight than participants without suicidal ideation ( P  = 0.009). Conclusion Five years after adolescent MBS, a substantial minority still struggles with mental health issues, and women are more burdened than men. Our results indicate an association between less optimal weight loss and suicidal ideation 5 years after MBS. The findings emphasize the importance of offering long-term follow-up and mental health treatment several years after MBS. Level of evidence Level III, cohort study. Clinical trial registration The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00289705). First posted February 10, 2006.