PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AND CURRENT PRACTICES IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY: A literature review

Abstract

The psychological evaluation for bariatric surgery is mandatory, and its conduction by the psychologist must adhere to professional principles and guidelines, as well as specific legislation. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the process of psychological evaluation for bariatric surgery and, additionally, to identify the psychological factors assessed and the instruments used in the process. This is a bibliographic research with data collection conducted between September and October 2023, in electronic databases such as Lilacs, Scielo, PubMed, and Pepsic, including full-text, open-access scientific articles published from 2018 to 2023. A total of 119 articles were found, of which 14 were selected for analysis. As a result, four categories were identified regarding psychological evaluation in bariatric surgery: 1) Importance of evaluation: involves expectations, support network, stress, and mental health; 2) Relevant psychosocial factors: such as social support and lifestyle; 3) Resources used: tools like BDI–II, BAI, ECAP, BAROS, EFS, IDATE, and LIS-A to assess emotional and cognitive aspects; 4) Challenges: highlight the complexity and the need for a multidisciplinary approach. Difficulties faced by psychologists in conducting these evaluations were also identified, requiring well-structured strategies and practices. Based on these findings, it is crucial that the responsible bodies—such as the Federal Council of Psychology—coordinate efforts, as the implementation of specific documents benefits psychologists and candidates for bariatric surgery by providing clear guidelines and standardizing procedures, making the professional practice more precise, safe, and accessible.