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Mental distress or psychiatric condition? Exploring the gray area of categorizing psychological suffering among adolescents with obesity: a mixed methods study.

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Title: Mental distress or psychiatric condition? Exploring the gray area of categorizing psychological suffering among adolescents with obesity: a mixed methods study.
Authors: Loisel, Alexandra, Beauquesne, Agathe, Seyler, Morgane, Barry, Caroline, Hassler, Christine, Radjack, Rahmeth, Moro, Marie-Rose, Lachal, Jonathan, Lefèvre, Hervé
Source: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Aug2025, Vol. 34 Issue 8, p2545-2554. 10p.
Subjects: Psychiatric diagnosis, Self-evaluation, Psychological distress, Qualitative research, Interviewing, Questionnaires, Life expectancy, Physicians' attitudes, Severity of illness index, Anxiety, Quantitative research, Longitudinal method, Attitudes toward obesity, Research methodology, Childhood obesity, Mental depression, Adolescence
Abstract: Introduction Obesity in adolescents is associated with increased mental distress and psychiatric disorders, both of which are under-diagnosed in clinical practice. Methods We designed a mixed methods study, to explore the practical challenges of this screening and its consequences. The qualitative part interviewed 20 physicians: non psychiatrist physicians and child and adolescent psychiatrists – practicing in various specialized settings. The quantitative part examined self-assessment questionnaires and psychiatric clinical diagnoses in 242 patients admitted for inpatient appraisal of obesity. Results 7.9% reported severe depressive symptoms and 71.9% severe anxiety symptoms. Among this cohort, 28.5% were diagnosed with anxiety disorder and 16.9% with depression disorder. Both qualitative and quantitative data show that a large share of adolescents with obesity experience mental health distress, often intense. However, in most of these adolescents, this distress is not diagnosed as a mental health condition, thus creating a discrepancy which we named a "gray area" of psychological suffering. Conclusions Screening adolescents with obesity for both mental health distress and disease should be systematic. Frontline professionals need improved training and referral pathways and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Mental distress or psychiatric condition? Exploring the gray area of categorizing psychological suffering among adolescents with obesity: a mixed methods study.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22European+Child+%26+Adolescent+Psychiatry%22">European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry</searchLink>. Aug2025, Vol. 34 Issue 8, p2545-2554. 10p.
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  Data: Introduction Obesity in adolescents is associated with increased mental distress and psychiatric disorders, both of which are under-diagnosed in clinical practice. Methods We designed a mixed methods study, to explore the practical challenges of this screening and its consequences. The qualitative part interviewed 20 physicians: non psychiatrist physicians and child and adolescent psychiatrists – practicing in various specialized settings. The quantitative part examined self-assessment questionnaires and psychiatric clinical diagnoses in 242 patients admitted for inpatient appraisal of obesity. Results 7.9% reported severe depressive symptoms and 71.9% severe anxiety symptoms. Among this cohort, 28.5% were diagnosed with anxiety disorder and 16.9% with depression disorder. Both qualitative and quantitative data show that a large share of adolescents with obesity experience mental health distress, often intense. However, in most of these adolescents, this distress is not diagnosed as a mental health condition, thus creating a discrepancy which we named a "gray area" of psychological suffering. Conclusions Screening adolescents with obesity for both mental health distress and disease should be systematic. Frontline professionals need improved training and referral pathways and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Type: general
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