Psychic dynamics of severe obese patients seeking bariatric surgery: Intercultural clinical approach Dynamique psychique des patients obèses sévères en demande de chirurgie bariatrique : approche clinique interculturelle

Abstract

© 2020 Elsevier Masson SASIntroduction: The authors are interested in the problematic of severe obesity, particularly in the underlying psychic function of patients who seek bariatric surgery. They propose an intercultural comparison between France and Turkey by questioning the implication of culture in the psychogenesis of this chronic disease. Methodology: They represent the results of a first qualitative exploratory section, by the comparative analysis of two clinical cases which are representatives of each of the two countries. This analysis is based on clinical interviews, self-questionnaires and Rorschach Test. Results: This cultural comparison shows that two representative clinical cases have antecedents with difficult and traumatic life experiences, mostly based on infancy background. These incidents lead to difficulties of mentalization of affects as it is occurred during the clinical interviews, the self-questionnaires and the process of Rorschach Test. Therefore, the impossibility of this work of psychic transformation leads to Eating Disorders. Conclusion: These initial results call for further construction and validation of a cross-cultural model of severe obesity, allowing in the future to propose international recommendations for the psychological treatment of this chronic disease, especially during bariatric surgery.