Depression inherent to child obesity: Integrative literature review

Abstract

Background. Depression is a very common psychiatric disorder in children with childhood obesity (OI) at school age and adolescence, since this pathology is a chronic disease that has increased in recent years, including in the pediatric population, and has become a public health problem. Objective. To assess the likelihood of developing depression as a result of childhood obesity. Also, to verify the most frequent causes. Methods. This is an integrative review, whose research was carried out through the Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System online (MEDLINE) and Elsevier via ScienceDirect platforms in search of scientific articles to analyze data and prepare the study, with the target audience being between 5 and 17 years old. The research took place between September and November 2020. Results. A high incidence of developing depression in obese children and adolescents was found, with a higher prevalence in females. Conclusion. It is therefore of the utmost importance to discuss the psychological consequences of obesity in pediatrics, as this disease brings comorbidities and affects mental health, developing, for example, depression.