Personality type, eating behaviour and suicide risk in women in treatment for obesity

Abstract

Objectives To determine the personality types of women in treatment for obesity and the associations among their personality characteristics, eating behaviour and suicide risk. Subjects: Sixty women in pharmacological treatment for obesity (clinical group: CG) and 60 women post-bariatric gastric bypass surgery (surgical group: SG) were evaluated. Methods This was an observational and transversal study conducted in a specialized outpatient unit. Personality types were evaluated through the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. A semi-structured questionnaire that investigated sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics was applied, along with the Binge Eating Scale (BES) and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Results Among the 16 possible personality types, the ISFJ (Introversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judging) and ESFJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judging) types were more frequent. In the SG, 32% of the participants presented with the ISFJ type, and 18.3% presented with the ESFJ type. In the CG, 33% presented with the ISFJ type and 25% presented with the ESFJ type. There was a higher prevalence of binge eating behaviour in the CG (Cohen’s d: − 0.47; p < 0.0001) and a higher tendency to graze in the SG (p = 0.005). Participants with introverted attitudes showed a higher prevalence of severe binging (13.3% vs 3.3%, p = 0.07), suicidal thoughts throughout life (STTL) (69.5% vs 45.1%, p = 0.007), and recent suicidal thoughts (RSTs) (30.4% vs 11.7%, p = 0.01) in comparison to extraverted participants. BMI was associated with a higher chance of STTL (37.96 ± 6.41 kg/m² with STTL vs 33.92 ± 4.68 kg/m² without STTL; p = 0.01) in the CG compared to the SG. RSTs were associated with BMI in the SG (34.47 ± 3.86 kg/m² with RSTs vs 30.61 ± 5.72 kg/m² without RSTs; p = 0.01). In the multivariable analysis, personality type (ISFJ) was an independent predictor of STTL (OR: 3.6; CI 1.3–10.2; p = 0.01) and Suicidal Behaviour (SB) (OR: 9.7; CI 2.44–38.9; p = 0.001). Conversely, while BMI was an independent factor associated with binge eating, personality type was not. Conclusions Women who were in pharmacological treatment for obesity or were post-bariatric surgery present specific types of personality. Introversion was associated with a higher BMI and a higher risk of suicidal thoughts. Level of evidence Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.