Better To Be Overweight And Happy? Weight-Loss Surgery Patients More Likely To Commit Suicide

For many, losing weight seems like the path to happiness and healthfulness. But a new study suggests people who undergo weight-loss surgery are more likely to commit suicide, especially if they have a history of mental health issues.

According to the study from the Sunnybrook Research Institute at the University of Toronto, weight-loss surgery patients were about 50 percent more likely to try to commit suicide after they lost a lot of weight. More than nine of 10 suicide attempts involved patients with a history of mental health problems, the Canadian researchers found, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Most of the attempts occurred between two and three years after the surgery, which the authors said brings attention to the need for longer follow-up counseling for the patients.

"It's often in the second and third year when the disappointment sets in, and in most cases, the follow-up has stopped," said Donald Redelmeier, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a co-author of the study, according to CBS News. "At that point, people often think there is nothing else they can do, and they give up hope. That's what we're trying to avoid."

The researchers studied hospital records for 8,815 Ontario residents who had bariatric surgery between 2006 and 2011 for three years before and after the procedures. The rate of self-harm attempts was 2.3 per 1,000 before the surgery and 3.6 per 1,000 afterward, compared with fewer than 1 per 1,000 in the general population, WSJ reports.

In other words, patients with previous mental health problems are more likely to be at risk for suicide after weight-loss surgery, highlighting the need for screening of candidates before the procedure.

"We have to acknowledge that that is a life-changing procedure. Patients have to adapt to a new lifestyle, which can be stressful for them," said Junaid Bhatti, an epidemiologist at Sunnybrook and the study's lead researcher.

About 93 percent of the suicide attempts reported happened to patients diagnosed with a mental health disorder prior to surgery, the researchers said.

"While we are clear and confident about the medical benefits of weight loss, especially through weight-loss surgery, I think we're not as attentive to the potential psychological benefits or harms of it," Dr. Amir Ghaferi, director of bariatric surgery at the Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Healthcare System in Michigan, told CBS News. 

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weight loss
overweight
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