Dr Samantha Scholtz Consultant psychiatrist for bariatrics
- Patient age group
- Adults
- Consultant registered on
- 01/08/2000
- Primary medical qualifications
- MBChB, MRCPsych
- Foreign languages
- Gender
- Female
- Services
- Hospitals
Background
Dr Scholtz is a consultant psychiatrist specialising in the management of long term conditions, including obesity and related disorders, as well as the preparation of patients for bariatric surgery, as well as mood and anxiety disorders, bipolar affective disorder, trauma-related conditions, bereavement and chronic physical health conditions.
Dr Scholtz has worked at the NHS Trust, Imperial Weight Centre, St Mary’s Hospital for the past 15 years, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing psychiatric care for people on weight management treatment pathways.
She graduated from Stellenbosch University and completed her higher specialist training at St. George’s University of London, where she also worked for 3 years in a national eating disorders unit. Additionally, she has worked at West London NHS trust for the past 10 years, and for the last five years also held a corporate role of research and development director at West London NHS Trust.
Dr Scholtz holds a PhD from Imperial College London, funded by the Welcome Trust Charity and examined appetite and food reward changes in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery using functional magnetic resonance imaging. She enjoys research and continues to publish in the area of psychological management of people living with obesity and related conditions, recently with a focus on the lived experience thereof. Dr Scholtz presents at national and international conferences in her area of expertise.
Expertise
Psychiatric preparation for bariatric surgery, general psychiatry
Research & publications
1: Kenkre JS, Gesell S, Keller A, Milani RM, Scholtz S, Barley EA. Alcohol Misuse post Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review of Longer-term Studies with Focus on new Onset Alcohol use Disorder and Differences Between Surgery Types. Curr Obes Rep. 2024 Sep;13(3):596-616. doi: 10.1007/s13679-024-00577-w. Epub 2024 Jun 8. PMID: 38850501; PMCID: PMC11306568.
2: Assaf N, Scholtz S, Ahmed AR, Krieger M, Ali N, Bello F. 3D Reconstruction and Virtual Reality Is an Acceptable and Feasible Method for Addressing Body Image in Bariatric Metabolic Surgery. Obes Surg. 2024 Jul;34(7):2711-2717. doi: 10.1007/s11695-024-07256-8. Epub 2024 May 9. PMID: 38722475; PMCID: PMC11217104.
3: Ansari S, Mazaheri T, O'Donnell K, Waite M, Cann A, Abdel-Malek M, Boyle L, Tweedlie L, Scholtz S, Hameed S, Izzi-Engbeaya C, Chahal H, Tan T. Time to unshackle the medical treatment of obesity in the NHS. Clin Med (Lond). 2024 May;24(3):100206. doi: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100206. Epub 2024 Apr 21. PMID: 38643826; PMCID: PMC11091500.
4: Ortega PM, Scholtz S, O'Donnell K, Hakky S, Purkayastha S, Tsironis C, Moorthy K, Aggarwal R, Ahmed AR. Risk Factors for Chronic Abdominal Pain After RYGB: Are Patients Adequately Selected Beforehand? Obes Surg. 2024 May;34(5):1748-1755. doi: 10.1007/s11695-024-07193-6. Epub 2024 Apr 5. PMID: 38575742.
5: Barley EA, Bovell M, Bennett-Eastley K, Lee JT, Lee-Baggley D, Skene SS, Tai MZ, Brooks S, Scholtz S. Addressing a critical need: A randomised controlled feasibility trial of acceptance and commitment therapy for bariatric surgery patients at 15-18 months post-surgery. PLoS One. 2023 Apr 25;18(4):e0282849. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282849. PMID: 37098049; PMCID: PMC10128967.
6: Sullivan M, Fernandez-Aranda F, Camacho-Barcia L, Harkin A, Macrì S, Mora-Maltas B, Jiménez-Murcia S, O'Leary A, Ottomana AM, Presta M, Slattery D, Scholtz S, Glennon JC. Insulin and disorders of behavioural flexibility. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Jul;150:105169. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105169. Epub 2023 Apr 12. PMID: 37059405.
7: Pressanto C, Scholtz S, Ali N. Obesity and bariatric surgery in adults living with severe mental illness: perceptions and clinical challenges. BJPsych Bull. 2023 Jun;47(3):165-171. doi: 10.1192/bjb.2022.31. PMID: 35698857; PMCID: PMC10214424.