An investigation into the state of anxiety, depression, and quality of life in overweight and obese people

Obesity is considered a source of psychological distress. Aim of this study is investigating anxiety, depression, and the quality of life in people with obesity and overweight living in Rasht, North of Iran.

This analytical cross-sectional research was carried out on 134 subjects between 18 and 45 years old who had referred, for the first time, to the Nutrition Ward of Subspecialty Clinic Beesat in Rasht in 2017-18 with overweight or obesity. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a questionnaire of health-related quality of life known as the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to identify the subjects’ level of depression, anxiety, and quality of life. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS 23.

Totally, 49 overweight (36.6%) and 85 obese patients (63.4%) were investigated. 46 (34.4%) suffered from moderate to severe anxiety and 38 (28.4%) had moderate to severe depression. Furthermore, the average score of quality of life was 65.54 ± 17.37. There was a significant difference in terms of anxiety and quality of life between overweight and obese people. Also, out of the 8 dimensions of quality of life, physical function and general health had a significant negative correlation with BMI. No significant relationship was found between obesity and depression. An increase in BMI leads to a rise in anxiety and a decrease in the quality of life. By considering the role of psychological factors in obesity, mental health interventions can prevent and control this condition and improve people’s quality of life.