Comparison between the prevalence of mental disorders in obese and overweight patients<br><b>Abstract in English</b>

Abstract

AIMS: To assess the sociodemographic characteristics and prevalence of mental disorders in patients with overweight and obesity. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and included patients with body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2, attended at the endocrinology outpatient clinic between 2008 and 2010. We used a structured instrument for the psychiatric diagnosis and criteria of the World Health Organization definition of body mass index and waist circumference. RESULTS: There were 153 respondents, the majority being female (86.9%). Overweight was observed in 38.6% of cases, obesity and severe obesity 46.4% 15%. Anxiety disorders occurred in 49.2% of overweight patients and 67% of obese subjects (p less than 0.05). Depressive disorders occurred in 22.7% of patients with increased waist circumference and 49.6% of those who had greatly increased waist circumference (p less than 0.05). Severe obesity was associated with risk for social phobia (p=0.001, OR=4.8, 95%CI 1.7-13.5), current panic disorder with agoraphobia (p=0.02, OR=3.7, 95%CI 1.1-12.4) and dysthymia (p=0.006, OR=6.6, 95%CI 1.5-28.7). CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety disorders were more prevalent in obese patients when compared to overweight patients, some mental disorders were associated with severe obesity, and depressive disorders were more prevalent in patients with severely increased waist circumference. These results reaffirm the importance of considering the psychiatric approach in the clinical management of obesity.