Psychological Mediators of the Association between Obesity and Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Joana Henriques; Vera Afreixo; Human Unterrainer; Hugo Senra

doi:10.1159/000542767

Psychological Mediators of the Association between Obesity and Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Neuropsychobiology. 2024 Nov 25:1-12. doi: 10.1159/000542767. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Joana Henriques¹, Vera Afreixo², Human Unterrainer^{3

4

5

6}, Hugo Senra^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Private Practice, Coimbra, Portugal.
² Center for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications (CIDMA), Department of Mathematics, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
³ Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria.
⁴ Center for Integrative Addiction Research (CIAR) - Grüner Kreis Society, Vienna, Austria.
⁵ University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
⁶ Department of Religious Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
⁷ Institute of Electronics and Informatics Engineering of Aveiro (IEETA), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
⁸ School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.

PMID: 39586250
DOI: 10.1159/000542767

Abstract

Introduction: There is still paucity of knowledge about which factors can mediate the link between obesity and mental health problems. This study aimed to investigate psychological mediators of the association between different weight profiles (healthy, overweight, and obesity) and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.

Methods: A sample of 407 adults (≥18 years old) with different weight profiles recruited from general population was assessed for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, and dimensions of emotion regulation and body investment/body image. Robust regression and robust mediation analyses were employed to investigate predictors and mediators of mental health outcomes in relation to different weight profiles.

Results: Body investment difficulties in relation to body image and body care, and emotion regulation difficulties related to a tendency towards negative secondary responses to negative emotions, and/or denial of distress, significantly mediated the association between obesity and symptoms of depression. The association between obesity and symptoms of anxiety and stress was significantly mediated by body investment difficulties related to body image concerns.

Conclusions: The current study brings evidence on specific dimensions of emotion regulation and body image that play a key role for the co-occurrence of mental health problems in individuals with obesity.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Obesity; Overweight; Stress.