On May 21st, the EPION Metabolic Monitoring and Research working group, with the sponsorship of the Ottawa On Track Program and support from EENet, hosted the Canadian iphYs Satellite Symposium – Keeping the Body in Mind, in Youth with Psychosis. Improving Health Outcomes in Youth with First Episode Psychosis.
Over 75 in person participants and 50 webinar participants joined to interact with world-renowned experts on managing weight gain, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes in persons receiving early psychosis intervention (EPI). Stakeholders included psychiatrists, nurses, front-line mental health professionals and advocates, including social workers, family doctors, patients, and families involved with early psychosis intervention.
In the afternoon, an interactive session took place, which aimed at developing tailored approaches to metabolic management for EPI programs across Ontario. A report from the event will be available soon and posted on this web space.
The objectives of the symposium were to learn:
- About the need for early, regular metabolic monitoring and lifestyle approaches to preserve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of individuals with psychosis.
- How weight gain and metabolic abnormalities develop in youth starting antipsychotic medications.
- Lifestyle and skills interventions that can help reduce weight gain in people starting antipsychotic medication.
- Strategies to improve collaboration with primary care providers.
- Neutraceutical approaches that improve the metabolic status of individuals with psychosis.