OBESITY PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY CLINICAL AND THERAPEUTIC CONSIDERATIONS

Introduction Experimental evidence indicates that patients with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or mood disorders have a higher incidence of overweight and obesity (Daumit et al., 2003). Objectives This review describes the neuropsychological functioning and therapeutical approaches (psychotherapeutic, pharmacological, surgical) in obese patients with psychiatric disorders. Aims To provide suggestions for good clinical practice in obese subjects with psychopathology, based on data found in the literature. Methods MEDLINE and PubMed databases (1962-2012) were searched for English-language articles. Results Most of the literature says that the best treatment for these patients should use an integrated approach, starting from an assessment of the psychological and cognitive resources to set up a more effective and personalized therapeutic path. Conclusions Obese patients who have psychiatric disorders represent a population that requires specific treatment measures; in fact, the development, the maintenance and the outcome of the problem of weight are influenced not only by physical and life style factors, but also by specific factors related to psychopathology, neuropsycology, and side effects of certain drugs.