The Role of Psychological Testing in Pre-Surgical Bariatric Evaluations

Kasey P. S. Goodpaster, PhD

Citation

Goodpaster, K. P. S. (2017). The role of psychological testing in pre-surgical bariatric evaluations. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 43, 67–73.

Abstract

Psychological testing should play an integral role in the pre-surgical psychological evaluation of bariatric surgery candidates. Generally, such testing involves at least one broad measure of general psychopathology, as well as 2–6 briefer and more specific assessments of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and cognitive functioning as indicated. Ideally completed prior to the clinical interview, testing allows psychologists to identify key areas for further clinical assessment and evaluate the consistency between test and interview data.

References

Ambwani, S., Boeka, A.G., Brown, J.D., Byrne, T.K., Budak, A.R., Sarwer, D.B., Fabricatore,

A.N., Morey, L.C., & O’Niel, P. (2013). Socially desirable responding by bariatric surgery candidates during psychological assessment. Surgery for Obesity and Related Disease, 9, 300-305.

Babor, T.F., Higgins-Biddle, J.C., Saunders, J.B., & Monteiro, M.G. (2001). The alcohol use disorders identification test. Guidelines for use in primary care (2^nd ed.). Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.

Ben-Porath, Y.S. & Tellegen, A. (2008/2011). The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF): Manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation.Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

Butcher, J.N., Dahlstrom, W.G., Graham, J.R., Tellegen, A.M., & Kaemmer, B. (1989). The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) manual for administration and scoring.Minneapolis, MN: University of Minneapolis Press.

Bush, K., Kivlahan, D.R., McDonnell, M.B., Fihn, S.D., & Bradley, K.A. (1998). The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): An effective brief screening test for problem drinking. Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Project (ACQUIP). Alcohol Use fDisorders Identification Test. Archives of Internal Medicine, 158, 1789-1795.

Cameron, J.., Worrall-Carter, L., Page, K., Stewart, S., & Ski, C.F. Screening for mild cognitive impairment in patients with heart failure: Montreal Cognitive Assessment vs Mini Mental Status Exam. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 12, 252-260.

De Zwaan, M., Georgiadou, E., Stroh, C.E., Teufel, M., Kohler, H., Tengler, M., & Muller, A. (2014). Body image and quality of life in patients with and without body countouring surgery following bariatric surgery: A comparison of pre- and post-surgery groups. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1310.

Fabricatore, A.N., Crerand, C.E., Wadden, T.A., Sarwer, D.B., & Krasucki, J.L. (2006). How do mental health professionals evaluate candidates for bariatric surgery? Survey results. Obesity Surgery, 16, 567-573.

Fairburn, C.G., & Beglin, S.J. (1994). Assessment of eating disorders: Interview or self-report questionnaire? International Journal of Eating Disorders, 16, 363-370.

Folstein, M.F., Folstein, S.E., McHugh, P.R., (1975). ‘Mini-Mental State.’ A practical method of grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatry Research, 12, 189-98.

Galioto, R., Garcia, S., Spitznagel, M.B., Strain, G., Devlin, M., Crosby, R.D., Mitchell, J.E., &

Gunstad, J. (2014). The Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) is not sensitive to cognitive impairment in bariatric surgery candidates. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 10, 553-559.

Gormally, J., Black, S., Datson, S., & Rardin, D. (1982). The assessment of binge eating severity among obese persons. Addictive Behaviors, 7, 47-55.

Hayden, M. J., Brown, W.A., Brennan, L., & O’Brien, P.E.(2012). Validity of the Beck Depression Inventory as a screening tool for a clinical mood disorder in bariatric surgery candidates. Obesity Surgery, 22, 1666-1675.

Kessler, R.C., Chiu, W.T., Demler, O., Merikangas ,K.R., & Walters, E.E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 617-627.

King, W.C., Chen, J, Mitchell, J.E., Kalarchian, M.A., Steffen, K.J., Engel, S.G., Courcoulas,

A.P., Pories, W.J., & Yanovski, S.Z. (2012). Prevalence of alcohol use disorders before and after bariatric surgery. JAMA, 307(23), 2516-2525.

Kroenke, K., & Spitzer, R.L. (2002). The PHQ-9: A new depression diagnostic and severity measure. Psychiatric Annals, 32(9), 1-7.

Krukowski, R.A., Friedman, K.E., & Applegate, K.L. (2010). The utility of the Beck Depression Inventory in a bariatric surgery population. Obesity Surgery, 20, 426-431.

Marek, R.J., Ben-Porath, Y.S., Merrell, J., Ashton, K., & Heinberg, L.J. (2014). Predicting one and three month postoperative somatic concerns, psychological distress, and maladaptive eating behaviors in bariatric surgery candidates with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Obesity Surgery, 24, 631-639.

Marek, R.J., Heinberg, L.J., Lavery, M., Merrell Rish, J., & Ashton, K. (2016). A review of psychological assessment instruments for use in bariatric surgery evaluations. Psychological Assessment, 28(9), 1142-1157.

Marek, R.J., Tarescavage, A.M., Ben-Porath, Y.S., Ashton, K., Merrell Rish, J., & Heinberg, L.J. (2015). Using presurgical psychological testing to predict 1-year appointment adherence  and weight loss in bariatric surgery patients: Predictive validity and methodological considerations. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 11, 1171-1181.

Mechanick, J.I., Youdim, A., Jones, D.B., Garvey, W.T., Hurley, D.L., McMahon, M.M.,

Heinberg, L.J., Kushner, R., Adams, T.D., Shikora, S., Dixon, J.B., & Brethauer, S. (2013). Clinical practice guidelines for the perioperative nutritional, metabolic, and nonsurgical support of the bariatric patient- 2013 update: Cosponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, The Obesity Society, and the American Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 9, 159-191.

Millon, T., Antoni, M., Millon, C., Minor, S., & Grossman, G. (2007). MBMD manual supplement: Bariatric report. NCS Pearson, Minneapolis, MN.

Mitchell, J.E., King, W.C., Chen, J-Y, Devlin, M.J., Flum, D., Garcia, L., Pender, J.R., Kalarchian, M.A., Khandelwal, S., Marcus, M.D., Schrope, B., Strain, G., Wolfe, B., & Yanovski, S. (2014). Course of depressive symptoms and treatment in the longitudinal assessment of bariatric surgery (LABS-2) study. Obesity, 22(8), 1799-1806.

Mitchell, J.E., Selzer, F., Kalarchian, M.A., Devlin, M.J., Strain, G.W., Elder, K.A., Marcus, M.D., Wonderlich, S., Christian, N.J., & Yanovski, S.Z. (2012). Psychopathology before surgery in the longitudinal assessment of bariatric surgery-3 (LABS-3) psychosocial study. Surgery for Obesity and Related Disease, 8(5), 533-541.

Nasreddine, Z. S., Phillips, N. A., Bedirian, V., Charbonneau, S., Whitehead, V., Collin, I.,

Cummings, J. L., and Chertkow, H. 2005. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA: a

Brief Screening Tool for Mild Cognitive Impairment. J.Am.Geriatr.Soc. 53(4):695-99.

Sogg, S., Lauretti, J., & West-Smith, L. (2016). Recommendations for the presurgical psychosocial evaluation of bariatric surgery patients. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 12, 731-749.

Spitzer, R.L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J.B., & Lowe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166, 1092-1097.

Spitzer, R., Yanovski, S., & Marcus, M. (1993). The questionnaire on eating and weight patterns-revised (QEWP-R). New York, NY: New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Spitznagel, M.B., Galioto, R., Limbach, K., Gunstad, J., & Heinberg, L. (2013). Cognitive function is linked to adherence to bariatric postoperative guidelines. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 9, 590-595.

Spitznagel, M.B., Garcia, S., Miller, L.A., Strain, G., Devlin, M., Wing, R., Cohen, R., Paul, R.,

Crosby, R., Mitchell, J.E., & Gunstad, J. (2013). Cognitive function predicts weight loss after bariatric surgery. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 9(3), 453-459.

Valezi, A.C., de Almeida Menezes, M., & Mali, J., (2013). Weight loss outcome after Roux-en-Ygastric bypass: 10 years of follow-up. Obesity Surgery, 23, 1290-1293.

Walfish, S., Vance ,D., & Fabricatore, A.N. (2007). Psychological evaluation of bariatric surgery applicants: Procedures and reasons for delay or denial of surgery. Obesity Surgery, 17, 1578-1583.

Walfish, S., Wise, E.A., & Streiner, D.L. (2008). Limitations of the Millon Behavioral Medicine

Diagonstic (MBMD) with bariatric surgery candidates. Obesity Surgery, 18, 1318-1322.

White, M.A., Kalarchian, M.A., Masheb, R.M., Marcus, M.D., & Grilo, C.M. (2010). Loss of control eating predicts outcomes in bariatric surgery patients: A prospective, 24-month follow-up study. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 71(2), 175-184.

Yanovski, S. Z., Marcus, M.D., Wadden, T.A., & Walsh, B.T. (2016). The Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Paterrns-5 (QEWP-5: An updated screening instrument for binge eating disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 48(3), 259-261.