The role of the psychologist in the management of the bariatric patient

Abstract

Multidisciplinary teams are utilized to assess and treat morbid obesity and are considered standard of care for patients seeking bariatric surgery. In addition to the medical comorbidities associated with morbid obesity, there are negative psychological consequences. Research on predictive psychosocial factors is inconsistent, but common findings suggest that psychiatric disorders, cognitive functioning, personality factors, and eating pathology can affect both short- and long-term outcomes of weight loss surgery. While practice standards have not been defined for psychological evaluations, this chapter aims to describe general domains that have been agreed upon by clinicians. Information obtained during the clinical interview is key for assessing a patient's readiness for surgery and for improving postsurgical outcomes. Thus, in addition to reviewing the role of a psychologist in conducting presurgical evaluations, this chapter will describe the role of a psychologist in facilitating psychosocial interventions in the preoperative phase as well as providing long-term care for patients with postoperative issues.