Question:
Help! I go for my psych eval tomorrow. What can I expect from visit?

Hi All! I guess I am a little nervous about tomorrow. I found out last week that Mail Handlers requires a psych eval now before they will approve WLS. I found a Psychologist last week who said she would interview and evaluate me for WLS. I'm just not sure exactly what she and the insurance are looking for?    — babrewer (posted on February 26, 2003)

February 26, 2003
It's really not that bad. But you get the jitters all the same. When I made my appt. They required me to take a personality test. It consisted of over 500 questions. But the consultation was mostly asking me questions about my life, who I was, where I came from, the lowdown on me. He also asked about what I knew about the surgery, who was performing it, and if I had a good support system at home. He asked about my diet history, how long I had been overweight etc... He seemed to have a genuine interest in me. he told me that my personality test did reveal that I was mildly depressed, but that it indicated that it was probably because of my lack of being able to do things because of my weight. Or at least that was how he interpreted it. I asked him if there were people that he didnt recommend have this surgery. He said generally if they have severe depression, drug or alcohol problems, or unrealistic expectations. That those issues would need to be dealt with first. Anyway he said he thought I could handle it and sent a report to my doctor. Good luck! I hope this helps.
   — Shelly G.

February 26, 2003
Barbara - I had my psycho evaluation last week and it was a piece of cake! Just be upfront and honest with them as to why you want the surgery, why you feel this is the right decision for you, etc., etc. My psych asked how I felt I would deal with the emotional aspects of the surgery, both from a physical standpoint and if I would be able to "give up" my comfort foods. I think she realized that I am confident about the decision I have made. Don't be nervous, they aren't there to try and talk you out of it, they're just trying to assess if you are emotionally ready to untake this journey. I also had to take the MMPI which is a personality/behavior profile test - it's 567 true/false questions (done on the computer). I've seen some posts where doctors have estimated that it would take 3 hours for this....I did it in about 35 minutes. As a matter of fact, my psychologist called me back today and said that I didn't need to come in for any further evaluation - she felt I was a perfect candidate and was faxing the evaluation today to the surgeon. Good luck and relax!
   — Debbie B.

February 26, 2003
Hi, My friend who had to go through this also said that the Psychologist mainly wants to be sure that you do not have any eating disorders or major depression. If so, these issues have to be adressed before the surgery. Let me know how it goes, and I wish you the best!
   — Elaine B.

February 26, 2003
So Mailhandlers requires a psych eval? I keep hearing that they are requesting more things. Last year, there was no problem at all. I thought that I would get approval without any headaches but it looks like I won't be that lucky. What else did they request? I heard that you need a letter from you PCP and a diet eval from a dietician OR a psych.
   — Misty C.

February 26, 2003
Seeing that your Eval is today, it's too late to change it BUT I hope this Dr. is WLS friendly - some are not and use this to get more business. My first Eval was a 500 some question exam of true and false questions and then a talk with the Dr. who asked questions concerning my past - she wanted me to have further sessions. My second opinion Eval was with a Dr. on my surgeon's list - He talked with me at length on the surgery, my understanding of it and how it would change my life. He told me why not to consume alcohol, how relationships will change etc. Then I took a computer test to match numbers and then a 300 some question test for personality that had 4 choices per questions. I was very impressed with this one -- it focused ON WLS only. My surgery is 3/26/03 - can't wait.
   — Sally P.