A call for improved prevention and reduction of obesity among persons with serious mental illness.

The primary purpose of this Open Forum is to alert the psychiatric community to a recently published policy paper by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), Obesity Reduction and Prevention Strategies for Individuals With Serious Mental Illness. The report was developed through a comprehensive review of materials and extensive discussions in an expert panel meeting held August 9-10, 2007. The report indicates that psychiatrists who disregard the physical health of their patients and focus only on treating the patient's psychiatric condition are not only neglectful but are also contributing to the epidemic of obesity among people with serious mental illness.

Impact of the CATIE findings on state mental health policy.

The authors, who are medical directors of three state mental health agencies and members of the Medical Directors' Council of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), describe the impact on public mental health policy of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE). Before publication of the CATIE results, the preponderance of information indicated substantial and broad-ranging advantages of second-generation antipsychotics over first-generation agents. State mental health authorities focused on improving access to and increasing utilization of the newer agents.