Background

Obesity is associated with a severe psychosocial burden, and mental illness is overrepresented in populations with severe obesity. However, the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or history of sexual abuse on bariatric surgery outcomes have been rarely reported in the literature.Objective: To evaluate the effect of PTSD or history of sexual abuse on weight loss outcomes in patients who undergo bariatric surgery compared to weight loss outcomes of patients with other common psychiatric diagnoses.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at our institution between January 2016 to July 2018 was performed. Patient demographics, lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, and percent excess weight lost (%EWL) at three months, six months, one year, two years, and three years were collected. Patients were categorized into five groups: Group 1, PTSD or history of sexual abuse; Group 2, anxiety; Group 3, depression; Group 4, anxiety and depression; and Group 5, no lifetime psychiatric diagnoses. Mean %EWL of each group at the specified time points were analyzed using one-way ANOVA.

Results

A total of 232 patients were included in analysis. 21 patients (9.1%) were identified as having PTSD or history of sexual abuse. There was no significant difference in mean %EWL between any group at three months, six months, one year, or two years postoperatively.

Conclusions

Patients with a history of PTSD or sexual abuse can achieve similar weight loss to patients with other psychiatric diagnoses and those with no lifetime psychiatric diagnoses following bariatric surgery.