Mental health, loss of control eating, and cognitive functioning in adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for severe obesity in adolescence. Nevertheless, much remains to be understood regarding the impact of surgery on mental health, eating behaviors, and cognition. We review the findings related to mental health both before and after surgery as well as long-term changes in psychopathology, including suicide risk. Overall, adolescents with and without a history of psychopathology lose weight at similar rates. At the same time, there is an increased risk for suicide that requires further study. Regarding alcohol and substance use, this population reports lower rates of consumption than age related non-obese cohorts. Nevertheless the impact of altered anatomy and metabolism on alcohol ingestion in a population at risk for substance use is concerning. Eating behaviors, specifically loss of control eating, are discussed. Finally, we include discussion of the cognitive changes occurring perioperatively and considerations for adolescents with cognitive impairments. Clinical recommendations and suggestions for future research are discussed.