Learning Objective #1: Discuss the risks of obesity and diabetes in the population with schizophrenia

Learning Objective #2: Identify cognitive and behavioral group interventions that can be used in public mental health clinics to combat weight gain in those with schizophrenia

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Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity are now significant co-morbid diseases for individuals with schizophrenia, who also have additional risk factors of smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor eating habits. The best drug treatments for schizophrenia, the atypical antipsychotic medications, create more weight gain and exacerbate already existing weight problems. Results from risk reduction studies in the fields of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease support the use of cognitive-behavioral techniques to promote motivation and provide strategies to overcome the barriers in adherence to diet and activity modification. The Diabetes Prevention Project (DPP) was a landmark multi-center clinical trial that demonstrated that a 16-week Cognitive Behavioral (CB) intervention significantly reduced the incidence of diabetes. Our study tested the efficacy of a 16-week (CB) group intervention, modified from the DPP program, in reducing body weight among a sample of individuals with schizophrenia who were taking atypical antipsychotic medication. Seventeen subjects were randomly assigned to the group intervention or treatment as usual (TAU). Weight, body mass index, and waist-hip circumference were measured. Subjects in the treatment arm lost weight compared to the TAU group. Additional studies are planned to focus specifically on Hispanic and African American females with schizophrenia.