Examination of the Effectiveness of a Brief, Adapted Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Skills Training Group for Bariatric Surgical Candidates.

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity, yet 20 to 30% of such patients regain weight approximately 2 years post-surgery. A psychological intervention adjunctive to bariatric surgery that addresses eating pathology often observed in bariatric populations may improve outcomes. In the present study, a brief, adapted DBT-ST group for bariatric surgical candidates was evaluated as an adjunctive intervention to bariatric surgery in the pre-surgical period to reduce eating pathology and clinical impairment.

METHODS

Participants included 95 bariatric surgery candidates, with 50 candidates in the DBT-ST plus treatment as usual (TAU) group and 45 candidates in the TAU (i.e., comparison) group. Participants completed measures of eating pathology at three time points (i.e., T = pre-DBT-ST program; T = post-DBT-ST program; T = 4 months post-DBT-ST; comparable time points employed for TAU group). Average wait time for surgery following the pre-surgical program was approximately 2 to 4 months.

RESULTS

A series of 2 (group: DBT-ST + TAU versus TAU) × 3 (assessment time: T, T, and T) mixed-model ANOVAs were completed. Participants in the DBT-ST plus TAU group showed significant reductions in binge eating, emotional eating, global eating pathology, and clinical impairment related to eating difficulties over time in comparison to TAU.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings demonstrated that a brief DBT-ST group integrated as an adjunctive intervention to TAU in a bariatric pre-surgical program could aid in addressing eating pathology. Bariatric participants in a DBT-ST plus TAU group may be on a better weight loss trajectory than those who only receive TAU.