This comprehensive session will address the needs of the mental health professionals who care for the large proportion of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) who have cardiometabolic risk factors, in particular, metabolic syndrome. Meta-analyses have indicated that at least 1 out of 3 patients with SMI has metabolic syndrome. This session aims to familiarize the audience with the complex reasons for the elevated risk for metabolic syndrome, as well as highlight the adverse downstream effects, both medically and psychiatrically, and point out clinically useful ways to identify and manage this aspect of health in patients with SMI.
