Health Psychology Evaluations

Pre-Surgical Bariatric Assessment

A Pre-Surgical Bariatric Assessment is a psychological assessment conducted before bariatric (weight loss) surgery.

This evaluation is an important step in the pre-operative process. This evaluation helps to identify psychological factors that could affect the patient’s ability to follow post-surgery guidelines.  The evaluation ensures that patients are ready from a mental health standpoint to pursue the surgery. It also assesses their readiness for long-term lifestyle changes following bariatric surgery. 

A psychologist or mental health professional with expertise in health psychology assessments typically does this evaluation. 

The evaluation has several parts:

Clinical Interview

The evaluation starts with a clinical interview. The psychologist reviews the patient’s weight and dieting history. The process identifies how well the patients understand the surgery, its risks, and benefits. It explores the patients’ reasons for seeking this surgery and their expected results. The interview helps to evaluate whether the patient is ready for lifelong lifestyle changes. 

In this process, the psychologist reviews the patient’s mental health history. This includes current and past mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, and substance use issues. Current eating patterns are also evaluated, especially binge eating disorder. 

Behavioral and Lifestyle Assessment

The psychologist examines the patient’s current lifestyle, which includes their eating habits, exercise routine, support system, and use of coping strategies. 

Understanding the patient’s daily routine, diet, and physical activity helps determine whether they are ready for the changes needed post-surgery.

Psychological Testing

The psychologist administers standardized tests to assess for mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or other eating disorders. 

Eating disorder screeners are administered to evaluate the presence of an eating disorder. Inventories that assess the patient’s quality of life and satisfaction in various aspects of this life are also reviewed.

Assessment of Social Support

The evaluation may include teaching the patient about the mental and lifestyle changes needed after the surgery and discussing realistic goals for losing weight and keeping it off. 

Education and Expectation Management

A kidney donor psychological evaluation is an essential part of the pre-donation evaluation process for any person considering donating their kidney, whether to a known recipient or as part of a non-directed (altruistic) donation. This assessment aims to confirm the psychological readiness, cognitive capability, and social support available for potential donors to make an informed decision about kidney donation and deal with the physical and emotional consequences of donation.

Feedback and Recommendation

After the evaluation, the psychologist schedules a feedback session to review the results with the patient. The feedback includes information regarding the patient’s mental health readiness to pursue this surgery. Recommendations are discussed, such as referral for psychotherapy to address specific goals, medication management, and nutritional education. These recommendations are completed as necessary to ensure that the patient is ready for surgery and has a successful outcome.

What Can You Expect:

The assessment may take three to four visits. The entire process is confidential and designed to support the patient’s journey to surgery. 

The goal is to identify the factors that could help or harm the patient’s surgery results. 

It also ensures the patient gets the right support. 

Kidney Donor Psychological Evaluation

A kidney donor psychological evaluation is an essential part of the pre-donation evaluation process for any person considering donating their kidney, whether to a known recipient or as part of a non-directed (altruistic) donation. This assessment aims to confirm the psychological readiness, cognitive capability, and social support available for potential donors to make an informed decision about kidney donation and deal with the physical and emotional consequences of donation.

Critical Components of the assessment include:

1. Clinical Interview:

At the heart of the psychological evaluation is a clinical interview, typically by a psychologist or mental health professional in transplant psychology. This question examines why the potential donor wishes to donate an iliac crest and gauzes their risks and gains. What can you expect from the surgery and recovery, and how might it affect you psychologically? The evaluator evaluates the donor’s psychiatric history, current psychological status, and any history of substance abuse or psychiatric treatment.

2. Assessment of Understanding and Decision-Making Capacity:

A crucial part of the assessment is understanding that the potential donor has full knowledge of the surgery, risks, and consequences for long-term health. The psychologist evaluates whether the patient understands, gives consent, and has the judgment to make independent medical decisions.

3. Psychological Testing:

Standardized psychological tests assess cognitive functioning and screen for psychopathology, as well as donor emotional health and resiliency. These tests help support clinical interview findings.

4. Evaluation of Social Support:

The psychologist assesses the donor’s social support network to gauge whether they have adequate emotional and practical support throughout the donation process and into recovery. A good support system is necessary to get through the donation positively.

5. Feedback and Recommendations:

Following the evaluation, the transplant psychologist will share feedback with the team about 1) whether or not the donor is psychologically ready to donate at this time, 2) any psychological risks that were identified, and 3) treatment recommendations for managing these risks. If problems are identified, the psychologist will likely provide specific recommendations to follow so they can be ready for kidney donation.

What to Expect

• Non-judgmental Approach:

The psychologist attempts to foster an open and welcoming environment so the potential donor can express their thoughts and feelings about their motivations, fears, and answers.

• Focus on Well-being:

The evaluation is a form of protection for the person considering kidney donation. It is crucial to safeguard the welfare of the prospective donor, making sure that they can donate freely with the understanding of what donating entails.