The Relationship Between Childhood and Adult Attention-Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder and General Psychopathological Features in Individuals Who Apply for Bariatric Surgery

Background: The relationship between obesity and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is shown in recent studies. In our study, we have analyzed the relationship between childhood and adulthood (ADHD) and general psychopathological features in morbidly obese individuals who have applied for bariatric surgery. Methods: One hundred seventy-seven morbidly obese patients (body mass index ≥40) who have been referred for bariatric surgery volunteered to participate in the study. The average age of the participants is 36.60 ± 8.46, and 143 of them are female and 34 are male. All volunteers filled the Wender Utah Rating Scale short version (WURS-25), Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-11), and Symptom Check List (SCL-90) tests. Results: The ADHD rate in morbidly obese individuals was 19.20%. Also, we found that in morbidly obese individuals who applied for bariatric surgery, adult and childhood ADHD were highly related to psychopathological (somatization, obsessive compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, anger, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid thoughts, psychoticism, and additional symptoms) features. Psychopathological features in a statement that ADHD was evaluated in the morbidly obese individuals are an active factor. Conclusions: As a result of the findings of our study, we suggest paying attention to ADHD symptoms and psychopathological factors of morbidly obese individuals.