The High Authority for Health publishes a guide on the course of care for overweight and obesity in adults. It describes the care, support and overall follow-up and reaffirms the importance of early detection coupled with an assessment of lifestyle habits. Sheets detail the role of professionals (health, social and medico-social field, adapted physical activity, occupational health) and review the situations in which the attending physician can request them.
Sheet 1 concerns the psychologist and remember that: “The general practitioner or the doctor specializing in obesity offers referral to a psychologist if he detects signs of psychological distress or dysfunctions that require an in-depth assessment and the proposal of appropriate care. This orientation can
also be necessary along the way. The person concerned may also express the need to meet a psychologist”.
The psychologist offers the person a space to speak and establishes a relationship of trust to be able to talk regarding them, their concerns, and accompanies them if necessary. He carries out a psychological assessment, “essential element of the multidimensional evaluation of a situation of overweight or obesity” and adapts its intervention according to the needs, with the person concerned but also with professionals. In complex situations, he participates in analysis or multi-professional consultation meetings (RCP) and contributes to the definition of the care and support project following sharing data with the team.
Referral to the psychiatrist can be an emergency:
– if the suffering of the person is very important with an impact on sleep, eating disorders, in particular binge eating, an impact on the general condition, quality of life;
– if the situation evokes a psychiatric disorder: anxiety, rapid evolution of the corpulence curve concomitant with a traumatic event, depression, suicidal ideation.
• Care pathway guide: overweight and obesity in adults, HAS, Recommend good practices, January 2023.
