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Educational Activity

Managing Weight Gain in Patients With Severe Mental Illness

Roger S. McIntyre

Published: July 21, 2009

This CME activity is expired. For more CME activities, visit CMEInstitute.com.
Find more articles on this and other psychiatry and CNS topics:
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders

Article Abstract

Patients with severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have significantly increased rates of early mortality compared with the general population. Increased mortality in the mentally ill is often due to medical comorbidities associated with overweight or obesity. Weight gain can be associated with the mental disorder itself or with the pharmacotherapy used to treat the mental disorder. Effective weight-neutral and weight-reducing medical agents are available, and the use of an appropriate pharmacotherapy regimen with behavior modification and patient education may help manage body weight in patients with serious mental illnesses.


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Volume: 70

Quick Links: Side Effects-Medication , Weight

References