Live FREE After Bariatric Surgery

Overview

About this study

The purpose of this study will examine the the acceptability and feasibility of a group-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy intervention for patients after bariatric surgery experiencing high emotional eating. The Live FREE DBT intervention will train emotion regulation skills and perhaps improve emotional eating scores and weight loss outcomes for this sub-group of individuals. Our hope is that this program proves to be acceptable and feasible to the target population and contribute to the relatively limited body of knowledge on post-bariatric surgery interventions for emotional eating. Regarding benefits to individual participants, participants may gain insight into their eating behaviors and emotion regulation skills. With this, participants may gain skills to utilize in daily life (i.e., mindfulness, problem-solving) above and body eating, shape, and weight concerns.  Participants will be recuited through the Principal Investigator's local hospital in NW Ohio and through Mayo Clinic post-bariatric surgery patients. 

 

 

Participation eligibility

Participant eligibility includes age, gender, type and stage of disease, and previous treatments or health concerns. Guidelines differ from study to study, and identify who can or cannot participate. There is no guarantee that every individual who qualifies and wants to participate in a trial will be enrolled. Contact the study team to discuss study eligibility and potential participation.

Inclsuion Criteria: 

  • Participants must be aged 18 and older.

  • Participants must be at least 6 months post-bariatric surgery.

  • Participants must have elevated emotional eating (i.e., in response to any negative emotions, including boredom).

  • Be able to read English at a 6th grade reading level.

  • Willingness to attend assessment and intervention sessions via Zoom, and f) willingness to purchase and use a personal digital scale.

  • Must live in Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Iowa because those are the states in which the psychologists are licensed.

Exlcusion Criteria: 

  • Individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

  • Individuals who engage in compensatory behaviors or exhibit severe binge eating (this will be screened during the screener interview and using an established questionnaire, the Binge Eating Scale, if needed), c) individuals with psychiatric problems that could interfere with participation (e.g., active suicide risk, substance use, psychosis.

  • Individuals participating in other therapeutic interventions.

  • Willingness to refrain from participating in other program-related educational/support groups during the study period (e.g., support groups offered by their home bariatric program). If individuals are participating in program-related educational/support groups, prior to enrollment in the study, they will be reminded that participation in this program is completely voluntary and encouraged to strongly consider whether it would be in their best interest to pause their participation in those programs. They will also be reminded that they could end their participation in the research study at any time and decide to re-initiate participation in program-related educational/support groups if they so choose.

  • Individuals will not be excluded based on the following:

    • Utilizing medications that could affect weight or weight-loss medications.

    • Changes in psychotropic medications.

    • Inclusion in other weight loss programs. However, these three variables will be tracked by the researchers.

Note: Other protocol defined Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria may apply.

Eligibility last updated 2/05/2025. Questions regarding updates should be directed to the study team contact.
 

Participating Mayo Clinic locations

Study statuses change often. Please contact the study team for the most up-to-date information regarding possible participation.

Mayo Clinic Location Status

Rochester, Minn.

Mayo Clinic principal investigator

Afton Koball, Ph.D., L.P.

Contact us for the latest status

More information

Publications

Publications are currently not available

Additional contact information

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