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. 2021 May;110(5):1534-1540.
doi: 10.1111/apa.15702. Epub 2020 Dec 15.

High prevalence of neurodevelopmental problems in adolescents eligible for bariatric surgery for severe obesity

Anna Björk  1 , Jovanna Dahlgren  1   2 , Eva Gronowitz  1   2 , Fanny Henriksson Wessely  2 , Annika Janson  3   4 , My Engström  5   6 , Lovisa Sjögren  1   2 , Torsten Olbers  7 , Kajsa Järvholm  1   8
Affiliations

High prevalence of neurodevelopmental problems in adolescents eligible for bariatric surgery for severe obesity

Anna Björk et al. Acta Paediatr. 2021 May.

Abstract

Aim: To assess the prevalence of neurodevelopmental problems in adolescents with severe obesity and their associations with binge eating and depression.

Methods: Data were collected at inclusion in a randomised study of bariatric surgery in 48 adolescents (73% girls; mean age 15.7 ± 1.0 years; mean body mass index 42.6 ± 5.2 kg/m2 ). Parents completed questionnaires assessing their adolescents' symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder and reported earlier diagnoses. Patients answered self-report questionnaires on binge eating and depressive symptoms.

Results: The parents of 26/48 adolescents (54%) reported scores above cut-off for symptoms of the targeted disorders in their adolescents, but only 15% reported a diagnosis, 32% of adolescents reported binge eating, and 20% reported symptoms of clinical depression. No significant associations were found between neurodevelopmental problems and binge eating or depressive symptoms. Only a third of the adolescents reported no problems in either area.

Conclusion: Two thirds of adolescents seeking surgical weight loss presented with substantial mental health problems (reported by themselves or their parents). This illustrates the importance of a multi-professional approach and the need to screen for and treat mental health disorders in adolescents with obesity.

Keywords: adolescent; attention-deficit; bariatric surgery; hyperactivity disorder; neurodevelopmental problems; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest related to this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number (%) of adolescents who screened positive for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportion of adolescents reporting none, one or several areas with elevated problems. Number (%) of adolescents screened positive for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), binge eating and/or depressive symptoms at a clinical level
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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