Effectiveness of a complex psychosocial intervention to reduce metabolic syndrome in psychiatric outpatients with severe/persistent mental illness

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among individuals with severe mental illness is considerably higher than in the general population, contributing to the 15-20-year shorter life expectancy of this client population. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel, complex psychosocial program to reduce metabolic syndrome. Members of both the intervention (n = 78) and control (n = 31) group were psychiatric outpatients with severe/persistent mental illness struggling with one or more symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Beyond the default elements of similar programs such as diet and exercise, the intervention covered medication use, sleep hygiene, stress management, as well as addressing spiritual needs, mindfulness, addictions, and self-care. Assessment of metabolic indicators were completed at baseline, at the end of the 11-week intervention, and 6 months post-intervention. The trajectory of change over time was significantly more favorable in the treatment than in the control group in terms of waist circumference (p = 0.013, eta(2) = 0.093) and a positive trend emerged in relation to blood glucose level (p = 0.082, eta(2) = 0.057). However, no statistically reliable difference was observed between the intervention and the control group regarding the other outcome variables (body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum triglyceride level, serum HDL cholesterol level, overall metabolic syndrome severity). These findings suggest that to produce more robust benefits, psychosocial interventions targeting the metabolic health of individuals with complex mental health needs should be either longer in duration if resources permit or narrower in focus (diet and exercise mainly) if resources are scarce.