Coping strategies in bariatric surgery candidates: a case-control study

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between coping strategies and some clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of people applied for metabolic bariatric surgery. Methods: Forty people who applied to Balıkesir University Health Training and Research Hospital, Department of General Surgery to undergo bariatric surgery between August 2023 and November 2023 and 40 healthy volunteers with normal weight were included in the study. Sociodemographic data form and Coping Attitudes Assessment Scale (COPE) were applied to all participants. Results: COPE positive reinterpretation and development, active coping, and planning subscale scores were statistically significantly higher in individuals with obesity, whereas focusing on the problem and venting of emotions, mental disengagement, and substance use subscale scores were lower in obese individuals compared to non-obese individuals (p<0.05). When the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants and the COPE subscale dimension scores were compared, emotion-focused coping subscale scores werefound to be higher in non-alcoholic persons than alcohol users. Conclusion: Although obesity itself as well as the treatment methods are quite challenging, the fact that individuals who apply for bariatric surgery frequently use coping attitudes that are oriented towards adaptation, supportsthe fact that they are actively trying to cope with obesity.