Morbidly obese people have five times the risk for suicide after they undergo weight loss surgery, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh.
- Dr. Hilary Tindle and her colleagues tracked 16,683 people from Pennsylvania who had undergone bariatric surgeries between 1995 and 2004, and discovered 31 suicides in the group.
- The rate of suicide for the group was 14 per 10,000 man per year and five per 10,000 women per year.
- This compares to the annual suicide rate of the general population in Pennsylvania, which is two men per 10,000 and 0.6 women per 10,000.
- All 31 people in the study committed suicide within three years of their surgeries.
Dr. Tindle was quick to point out that her study does not mean that bariatric surgeries cause suicide. She believes that some patients suffer from depression and other mental health problems along with obesity. One study of bariatric surgery candidates found that 66% had experienced an "Axis 1" disorder, which is a combination of mental health problems that include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse.
However, Dr. Tindle said that her new findings indicate that there is a general need for better monitoring of patients after surgery, especially because over 225,000 Americans now undergo bariatric surgery every year.
The study appears in the American Journal of Medicine.
Labels: weight loss surgery, suicide
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