Bariatric surgery is a clinically effective tool that commonly results in sustained weight loss changes for the majority of patients. While bariatric surgery is generally associated with a number of positive health outcomes post-operatively, some popular media outlets and clinical anecdotes have presented concerns about the notion of “addiction transfer” and substance abuse post-bariatric surgery. There is a lack of research, however, in this area. The present study examined the rate of substance abuse in a broad sample of postbariatric surgery patients and examined potential risk factors for the development of substance abuse post-surgery. It was hypothesized that documented risk factors for substance abuse, more generally, would also predict substance abuse among this population. In addition, it was hypothesized that a number of theoretically-driven variables would predict substance abuse among this sample more specifically. For instance, it was hypothesized that those who had high food addiction scores pre-surgery would be more likely to meet criteria for substance abuse post-surgery, thereby supporting the addiction transfer theory. Participants completed a web-based survey assessing retrospective accounts of pre-surgical substance use, eating pathology, family history, and traumatic history, post-surgical substance use, life stressors, and body image, and global trait-like measures such as emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and coping skills. Findings revealed that a subgroup of individuals met criteria for substance abuse post-bariatric surgery; however, the majority of those who met substance abuse criteria post-surgery did not have a history of substance abuse. Family history of substance abuse, poor coping skills, and major life stressors were related to substance abuse post-bariatric surgery, particularly for the new-onset substance abuse group. Contrary to expectations, however, the theory of addiction transfer was not supported. Findings highlight future directions for pre-bariatric assessments and the need for improved follow-up care among post-bariatric surgery patients. Future longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand both psychological and physiological risk factors for substance abuse development post-bariatric surgery.
","abstract_html":"<p>Bariatric surgery is a clinically effective tool that commonly results in sustained weight loss changes for the majority of patients. While bariatric surgery is generally associated with a number of positive health outcomes post-operatively, some popular media outlets and clinical anecdotes have presented concerns about the notion of “addiction transfer” and substance abuse post-bariatric surgery. There is a lack of research, however, in this area. The present study examined the rate of substance abuse in a broad sample of postbariatric surgery patients and examined potential risk factors for the development of substance abuse post-surgery. It was hypothesized that documented risk factors for substance abuse, more generally, would also predict substance abuse among this population. In addition, it was hypothesized that a number of theoretically-driven variables would predict substance abuse among this sample more specifically. For instance, it was hypothesized that those who had high food addiction scores pre-surgery would be more likely to meet criteria for substance abuse post-surgery, thereby supporting the addiction transfer theory. Participants completed a web-based survey assessing retrospective accounts of pre-surgical substance use, eating pathology, family history, and traumatic history, post-surgical substance use, life stressors, and body image, and global trait-like measures such as emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and coping skills. Findings revealed that a subgroup of individuals met criteria for substance abuse post-bariatric surgery; however, the majority of those who met substance abuse criteria post-surgery did not have a history of substance abuse. Family history of substance abuse, poor coping skills, and major life stressors were related to substance abuse post-bariatric surgery, particularly for the new-onset substance abuse group. Contrary to expectations, however, the theory of addiction transfer was not supported. Findings highlight future directions for pre-bariatric assessments and the need for improved follow-up care among post-bariatric surgery patients. Future longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand both psychological and physiological risk factors for substance abuse development post-bariatric surgery.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ivezaj, Valentina"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Open Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Karen Saules, Ph.D., Chair","Anne Eshelman, PhD, ABPP","Tamara Loverich, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:51Z","subjects":["gastric bypass","obesity","substance abuse","Clinical Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/408","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Karen Saules, Ph.D., Chair","Anne Eshelman, PhD, ABPP","Tamara Loverich, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ivezaj, Valentina"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-09-05T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["gastric bypass","obesity","substance abuse","Clinical Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/408"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Bariatric surgery is a clinically effective tool that commonly results in sustained weight loss changes for the majority of patients. While bariatric surgery is generally associated with a number of positive health outcomes post-operatively, some popular media outlets and clinical anecdotes have presented concerns about the notion of “addiction transfer” and substance abuse post-bariatric surgery. There is a lack of research, however, in this area. The present study examined the rate of substance abuse in a broad sample of postbariatric surgery patients and examined potential risk factors for the development of substance abuse post-surgery. It was hypothesized that documented risk factors for substance abuse, more generally, would also predict substance abuse among this population. In addition, it was hypothesized that a number of theoretically-driven variables would predict substance abuse among this sample more specifically. For instance, it was hypothesized that those who had high food addiction scores pre-surgery would be more likely to meet criteria for substance abuse post-surgery, thereby supporting the addiction transfer theory. Participants completed a web-based survey assessing retrospective accounts of pre-surgical substance use, eating pathology, family history, and traumatic history, post-surgical substance use, life stressors, and body image, and global trait-like measures such as emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and coping skills. Findings revealed that a subgroup of individuals met criteria for substance abuse post-bariatric surgery; however, the majority of those who met substance abuse criteria post-surgery did not have a history of substance abuse. Family history of substance abuse, poor coping skills, and major life stressors were related to substance abuse post-bariatric surgery, particularly for the new-onset substance abuse group. Contrary to expectations, however, the theory of addiction transfer was not supported. Findings highlight future directions for pre-bariatric assessments and the need for improved follow-up care among post-bariatric surgery patients. Future longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand both psychological and physiological risk factors for substance abuse development post-bariatric surgery.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An examination of psychological risk factors for the development of substance abuse among post-bariatric surgery patients"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Karen Saules, Ph.D., Chair","Anne Eshelman, PhD, ABPP","Tamara Loverich, PhD"],"dc:creator":["Ivezaj, Valentina"],"dc:date.available":["2012-09-05T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Bariatric surgery is a clinically effective tool that commonly results in sustained weight loss changes for the majority of patients. While bariatric surgery is generally associated with a number of positive health outcomes post-operatively, some popular media outlets and clinical anecdotes have presented concerns about the notion of “addiction transfer” and substance abuse post-bariatric surgery. There is a lack of research, however, in this area. The present study examined the rate of substance abuse in a broad sample of postbariatric surgery patients and examined potential risk factors for the development of substance abuse post-surgery. It was hypothesized that documented risk factors for substance abuse, more generally, would also predict substance abuse among this population. In addition, it was hypothesized that a number of theoretically-driven variables would predict substance abuse among this sample more specifically. For instance, it was hypothesized that those who had high food addiction scores pre-surgery would be more likely to meet criteria for substance abuse post-surgery, thereby supporting the addiction transfer theory. Participants completed a web-based survey assessing retrospective accounts of pre-surgical substance use, eating pathology, family history, and traumatic history, post-surgical substance use, life stressors, and body image, and global trait-like measures such as emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and coping skills. Findings revealed that a subgroup of individuals met criteria for substance abuse post-bariatric surgery; however, the majority of those who met substance abuse criteria post-surgery did not have a history of substance abuse. Family history of substance abuse, poor coping skills, and major life stressors were related to substance abuse post-bariatric surgery, particularly for the new-onset substance abuse group. Contrary to expectations, however, the theory of addiction transfer was not supported. Findings highlight future directions for pre-bariatric assessments and the need for improved follow-up care among post-bariatric surgery patients. Future longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand both psychological and physiological risk factors for substance abuse development post-bariatric surgery.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/408"],"dc:subject":["gastric bypass","obesity","substance abuse","Clinical Psychology"],"dc:title":["An examination of psychological risk factors for the development of substance abuse among post-bariatric surgery patients"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:51Z"}