The impact of obesity on suicidality among female patients suffering from bipolar affective disorder: the indirect role of body dissatisfaction

The aim of study is to evaluate the impact of body dissatisfaction and obesity on suicide attempts in patients suffering from Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD). The study included a cross-sectional cohort of patients diagnosed with BAD who were treated at Sveti Ivan Psychiatric Hospital in Zagreb. The studied group was composed of female patients in the remission phase of BAD, aged 18 to 65 years. Through evaluation of the Body Mass Index (BMI), patients were divided into two groups: the study group (BMI>30), and a control group (BMI ranging from 18 to 25). Following this segmentation, the patients filled out two questionnaires: a schematic perception test (Figure Rating Scale) to determine body dissatisfaction, and a modified Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation to determine suicidal intensity. The study established a difference in body dissatisfaction between obese patients and patients with average body weight suffering from BAD. Higher BMI corresponded with higher dissatisfaction with body appearance. In addition, the study determined a statistically significant difference in suicidal intensity according to the Beck scale with regard to the level of satisfaction with body appearance. A significant correlation between dissatisfaction with body appearance and suicidal intensity according to the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation indicates that evaluation of dissatisfaction with body appearance could be used in daily clinical work as an indicator for suicidality in patients suffering from BAD. Statistically significant body dissatisfaction and a generally higher level of dissatisfaction, which have been confirmed as predictors of suicidality, were found in obese patients.
Cilj istraživanja bio je procijeniti utjecaj nezadovoljstva tijelom i pretilosti na pokušaj suicida u bolesnica koje boluju od bipolarnog afektivnog poremećaja (BAP). U prosječnom istraživanju sudjelovale su bolesnice s dijagnosticiranim BAP-om koje su liječene u Psihijatrijskoj bolnici ‘’Sveti Ivan’’ u Zagrebu. Promatrana skupina sastavljena je od pacijentica u fazi remisije, u dobi od 18 do 65 godina. Prema indeksu tjelesne mase (BMI), pacijentice su bile raspodijeljene u dvije skupine: Ispitivana skupina (BMI>30) i kontrolna skupina (BMI u rasponu od 18 do 25). Nakon podjele, pacijentice su ispunile dva upitnika: Test shematske percepcije (Figure Rating Scale) kako bi se utvrdilo nezadovoljstvo tijelom i modificiranu Beckovu ljestvicu za suicidalnost. Rezultati istraživanja ukazali su da postoji razlika u nezadovoljstvu tijelom između pretilih bolesnica i bolesnica s prosječnom tjelesnom masom koje boluju od BAP-a. Viši BMI korespondira s većim nezadovoljstvom tjelesnim izgledom. Dobivena je statistički značajna razlika u intenzitetu suicidalnosti s obzirom na stupanj zadovoljstva/nezadovoljstva tjelesnim izgledom. Značajna korelacija između nezadovoljstva izgledom tijela i suicidalnog intenziteta ukazuje na to da se procjena nezadovoljstva tjelesnim izgledom može koristiti u svakodnevnom kliničkom radu kao indikator za suicidalnost kod pacijenata koji pate od BAP-a. Statistički značajno nezadovoljstvo tijelom i općenito viša razina nezadovoljstva, koje su potvrđene kao prediktori suicidalnosti, pronađeni su kod pretilih pacijenata.