Mental Health Impacts In Individuals Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19141/jils.v14ilifestyle.2046Keywords:
bariatric surgery, quality of life, obesity, mental disordersAbstract
Introduction: Obesity is a chronic and multifactorial condition, related to genetics and behaviors, as well as various comorbidities such as diabetes. Furthermore, it is linked to social stigmatization, which affects treatment. Diagnosis is made using Body Mass Index (BMI), and obesity affects more than half of the Brazilian population. Bariatric surgery has proven effective in weight loss and improving physical and mental health. Despite this, there are risks such as nutritional deficiencies, physical complications, and psychological impacts. Bariatric surgery improves self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, but may increase the risk of alcoholism and suicide.
Objective: To analyze, through a systematic review, the impact on the mental health of individuals undergoing bariatric surgery.
Methods: This is a systematic review with a final sample of 25 articles, selected in June 2025, retrieved from PubMed and BVS, and selected according to the PRISMA criteria.
Results: Most of the articles were observational, cohort, and cross-sectional studies. Mental health outcomes were synthesized according to the main findings: positive, negative, or neutral (without statistical significance or with inconclusive results).
Conclusion: The study showed that bariatric surgery can generate both benefits and drawbacks to mental health. Although bariatric surgery represents an important tool in the treatment of severe obesity, its impacts on mental health still show heterogeneous results.
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