Mental distress or psychiatric condition? Exploring the gray area of categorizing psychological suffering among adolescents with obesity: a mixed methods study.

Introduction Obesity in adolescents is associated with increased mental distress and psychiatric disorders, both of which are under-diagnosed in clinical practice. Methods We designed a mixed methods study, to explore the practical challenges of this screening and its consequences. The qualitative p...

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Publicado en:European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Vol. 34; no. 8; pp. 2545 - 2555
Autores principales: Loisel, Alexandra, Beauquesne, Agathe, Seyler, Morgane, Barry, Caroline, Hassler, Christine, Radjack, Rahmeth, Moro, Marie-Rose, Lachal, Jonathan, Lefèvre, Hervé
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Springer Nature Aug2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Aug2025
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        10.1007/s00787-025-02673-1
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        atl: Mental distress or psychiatric condition? Exploring the gray area of categorizing psychological suffering among adolescents with obesity: a mixed methods study.
      aug:
        au:
          Loisel, Alexandra
          Beauquesne, Agathe
          Seyler, Morgane
          Barry, Caroline
          Hassler, Christine
          Radjack, Rahmeth
          Moro, Marie-Rose
          Lachal, Jonathan
          Lefèvre, Hervé
        affil: https://ror.org/00ph8tk69 AP-HP, Cochin Hospital, Maison de Solenn, Maison Des Adolescents (Cochin), 97 Bd du Port-Royal, 75014, Paris, France
      sug:
        subj:
          Mental Disorders Diagnosis
          Psychological Distress
          Pediatric Obesity In Adolescence
          Attitude to Obesity
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adolescence
          Multimethod Studies
          Qualitative Studies
          Physician Attitudes
          Interviews
          Psychiatrists
          Pediatricians
          Self Assessment
          Questionnaires
          Depression
          Severity of Illness
          Anxiety
          Prospective Studies
          Quantitative Studies
          Life Expectancy
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Introduction Obesity in adolescents is associated with increased mental distress and psychiatric disorders, both of which are under-diagnosed in clinical practice. Methods We designed a mixed methods study, to explore the practical challenges of this screening and its consequences. The qualitative part interviewed 20 physicians: non psychiatrist physicians and child and adolescent psychiatrists – practicing in various specialized settings. The quantitative part examined self-assessment questionnaires and psychiatric clinical diagnoses in 242 patients admitted for inpatient appraisal of obesity. Results 7.9% reported severe depressive symptoms and 71.9% severe anxiety symptoms. Among this cohort, 28.5% were diagnosed with anxiety disorder and 16.9% with depression disorder. Both qualitative and quantitative data show that a large share of adolescents with obesity experience mental health distress, often intense. However, in most of these adolescents, this distress is not diagnosed as a mental health condition, thus creating a discrepancy which we named a "gray area" of psychological suffering. Conclusions Screening adolescents with obesity for both mental health distress and disease should be systematic. Frontline professionals need improved training and referral pathways and resources.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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