Obesity is a multifactorial condition linked not only to physical health risks but also to significant psychological distress. Depression, weight-related experiential avoidance, and negative automatic thoughts are common in individuals seeking bariatric surgery, yet their interrelationships remain underexplored.
Objective:
This study aimed to examine the relationships between depressive symptoms, weight-related experiential avoidance, and negative automatic thoughts in individuals eligible for bariatric surgery.
Methods:
A total of 75 adult participants with a mean body mass index of 45.9 (SD: 6.13) who met clinical criteria for bariatric surgery were recruited from endocrinology and general surgery outpatient clinics. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ), and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight-Related Difficulties—Revised (AAQW-R). Group comparisons were made based on BDI scores, and Pearson correlations and linear regression analyses were conducted.
Results:
Fifty-five (73.3%) of the participants reported clinically significant depressive symptoms. Significant group differences were found for ATQ, AAQW-R total, and its subscales related to self-stigma and life interference (p < 0.05) between the depression group and the minimal or no depression group. Regression analysis showed that negative automatic thoughts (ATQ) significantly predicted depressive symptoms (β = 0.595, p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Negative automatic thoughts are a stronger predictor of depression than psychological inflexibility in bariatric surgery candidates. Interventions targeting maladaptive thinking patterns may improve psychological outcomes in this population.
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