Changes in Psychiatric Symptoms, Eating Disorder Behaviors, and Health Behaviors Following Six Months of GLP-1 Treatment for Obesity: A Pre-to-Post-Treatment Study

Background: Although the metabolic health benefits of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medicines such as Wegovy and Zepbound are well-established, the potential effects of these medicines on psychiatric and mental health symptoms remain relatively unknown, particularly in higher-risk populations. The objectives of this study are to evaluate six-month changes in (1) psychiatric symptoms ( e.g. , depression, suicidality, posttraumatic stress, psychological distress); (2) eating disorders ( e.g. , binge eating, body image, weight-related stigma); and (3) health behaviors ( e.g. , pain interference, social support, sleep) in a sample of veterans receiving either semaglutide or tirzepatide as part of treatment for obesity in a multidisciplinary Department of Veterans Affairs weight management clinic. Methods: The study design consisted of a respective clinical trial. Participants were military veterans receiving GLP-1 treatment for obesity through a specialized weight control clinic. Veterans were asked to complete an anonymous online survey using validated psychological questionnaires to evaluate mental health symptoms at the beginning of and following 6-months of GLP-1 treatment. Results: Among 90 participants completing a pre-treatment survey, 40 also completed a post-treatment survey after six months of GLP-1 treatment. Weight loss averaged 13.1% over this period. We observed statistically significant changes in psychiatric, eating behavior, and health behaviors across outcomes including depressive symptoms, general mental health, sleep quality, eating behaviors, and pain interference (all P ’s < 0.05). Effect sizes (Cohen’s d values) for these outcomes were moderate in magnitude by conventional standards ( d ≥ 0.50). Conclusions: These results suggest that weight and metabolic health benefits experienced by patients may frequently be paralleled by statistically significant improvements in mental health, eating disorder symptoms, and health-related quality of life.