NAMI Ask the Expert: Integrating Pharmacotherapy for Obesity into Psychiatric Practice OD009

An on-demand video and transcript of the presentation are available here [opens in new tab].

About The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They are an alliance of more than 650 local Affiliates and 49 State organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education to people with mental illness and their loved ones. Through awareness, advocacy and education, NAMI is committed to building stronger communities and a better future for everyone affected by mental illness.

Course Summary

Practice Level: Beginner

This course, based on the Ask the Expert webinar series by NAMI, provides an in-depth exploration of how anti-obesity medications (AOMs) can be integrated into psychiatric practice. Dr. Jonathan Meyer reviews the latest evidence on the safety, mechanisms of action, and effectiveness of agents such as GLP-1 receptor agonists and combination therapies in addressing weight gain linked to psychiatric medications. The course highlights clinical guidelines for patient selection, strategies for individualized prescribing, and data on comorbidity reduction. Designed for social workers, psychologists, counselors, and marriage and family therapists, this learning material bridges information about psychiatry, obesity medicine, and evidence-based care to support better outcomes for individuals living with serious mental illness.

Course Format

This course contains a participant guide, practice test, and on-demand video (with a slide deck of the presentation).

Learning Objectives

1. Identify patients for whom treatment with anti-obesity medications (AOMs) is appropriate.
2. Apply clinical guidelines to individualize the selection of AOMs for specific patient types.
3. Illustrate the proposed mechanism of action of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of obesity, including safety considerations.

Course Syllabus

• Patient Selection for Anti-Obesity Medications
• Clinical Guidelines and Treatment Strategies
• GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Emerging Therapies
• Implications for Psychiatric Practice

Current References

Agarwal, S. M., Stogios, N., Faulkner, G. E. J., & Hahn, M. (2023). Pharmacological interventions for the prevention of antipsychotic-induced weight gain in people with schizophrenia: A Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 49(4), 833–835. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbad037[opens in new tab]

Bak, M., Campforts, B., Domen, P., van Amelsvoort, T., & Drukker, M. (2024). Glucagon-like peptide agonists for weight management in antipsychotic-induced weight gain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 150(6), 516–529. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13734[opens in new tab]

ClinicalTrials.gov. (2018). A single dose crossover study in healthy subjects to evaluate different formulations of PF-06882961 (NCT03492697). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03492697[opens in new tab]

ClinicalTrials.gov. (2024). A study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PF-06882961 in adults with obesity (NCT04707313). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04707313[opens in new tab]

Correll, C. U., Sikich, L., Reeves, G., Johnson, J., Keeton, C., Spanos, M., Kapoor, S., Bussell, K., Miller, L., Chandrasekhar, T., Sheridan, E. M., Pirmohamed, S., Reinblatt, S. P., Alderman, C., Scheer, A., Borner, I., Bethea, T. C., Edwards, S., Hamer, R. M., & Riddle, M.A. (2020). Metformin add-on vs. antipsychotic switch vs. continued antipsychotic treatment plus healthy lifestyle education in overweight or obese youth with severe mental illness: Results from the IMPACT trial. World Psychiatry, 19(1), 69–80. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20714[opens in new tab]

De, R., Smith, E. C. C., Navagnanavel, J., Au, E., Maksyutynska, K., Papoulias, M., Singh, R., Panganiban, K. J., Humber, B., Mohr, G. H., Nielsen, M. Ø., Ebdrup, B. H., Remington, G., Agarwal, S. M., & Hahn, M. K. (2025). The impact of weight gain on antipsychotic nonadherence or discontinuation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 151(2), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13758[open in new tab]

De Giorgi, R., Koychev, I., Adler, A. I., Cowen, P. J., Harmer, C. J., Harrison, P. J., & Taquet, M.  (2024). 12-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes of semaglutide use for type 2 diabetes: A propensity-score matched cohort study. eClinicalMedicine, 74, 102726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102726[opens in new tab]

Drucker, D. J. (2024). Discovery of GLP-1–based drugs for the treatment of obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine, 392(6), 612–615. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcibr2409089[opens in new tab]

Eder, J., Glocker, C., Barton, B., Sarisik, E., Popovic, D., Lämmermann, J., Knaf, A., Beqiri-Zagler, A., Engl, K., Rihs, L., Pfeiffer, L., Schmitt, A., Falkai, P., Simon, M. S., & Musil, R. (2024). Who is at risk for weight gain after weight-gain associated treatment with antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers: A machine learning approach. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 151(3), 231–244. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13684[opens in new tab]

Friedman, J. M. (2024). The discovery and development of GLP-1 based drugs that have revolutionized the treatment of obesity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(39), e2415550121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2415550121[opens in new tab]

Jastreboff, A. M., Kaplan, L. M., Frías, J. P., Wu, Q., Du, Y., Gurbuz, S., Coskun, T., Haupt, A., Milicevic, Z., & Hartman, M. L. (2023). Triple–hormone–receptor agonist retatrutide for obesity: A phase 2 trial. The New England Journal of Medicine, 389(6), 514–526. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2301972[opens in new tab]

Kerem, L., & Stokar, J. (2024). Risk of suicidal ideation or attempts in adolescents with obesity treated with GLP1 receptor agonists. JAMA Pediatrics, 178(12), 1307–1315. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.3812[opens in new tab]

Le Roux, C., Steen, O., Lucas, K. J., Startseva, E., Unseld, A., & Hennige, A. M. (2023). 51-OR: A phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding study of BI 456906 in people with overweight/obesity. Diabetes, 72(Supplement 1), 51-OR. https://doi.org/10.2337/db23-51-OR[opens in new tab]

Lingvay, I., Brown-Frandsen, K., Colhoun, H. M., Deanfield, J., Emerson, S. S., Esbjerg, S., Hardt-Lindberg, S., Hovingh, G. K., Kahn, S. E., Kushner, R. F., Lincoff, A. M., Marso, S. P., Fries, T. M., Plutzky, J., Ryan, D. H., & SELECT Study Group. (2023). Semaglutide for cardiovascular event reduction in people with overweight or obesity: SELECT study baseline characteristics. Obesity, 31(1), 111–122. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23621[opens in new tab]

Liu, B. Y., & Rome, B. N. (2024). State coverage and reimbursement of antiobesity medications in Medicaid. JAMA, 331(14), 1230–1232. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2024.3073[opens in new tab]

Menon, T., Lee, S., Gong, X. Y., Wong, S., Le, G. H., Kwan, A. T. H., Teopiz, K. M., Ho, R., Cao, B., Rhee, T. G., Jing Zheng, Y., Valentino, K., Lin, K., Vinberg, M., Lo, H. K. Y., & McIntyre, R. S. (2024). A systematic review on the efficacy of GLP-1 receptor agonists in mitigating psychotropic drug-related weight gain. CNS Spectrums, 29(5), 347–353. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1092852924000531[opens in new tab]

Müller Alves, K., Teixeira da Silva, M., Kaercher Kramer, C., & Verçoza Viana, L. (2025). GLP-1R agonists for weight loss in psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 9(12), bvaf150. https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvaf150[opens in new tab]

Novo Nordisk. (2023, August 8). Novo Nordisk A/S: Semaglutide 2.4 mg reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in adults with overweight or obesity in the SELECT trial. https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=166301[opens in new tab]

Obesity Action Coalition. (n.d.). Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (H.R. 3231/S. 1973). https://www.obesityaction.org/troa/[opens in new tab]

Peng, T. R., Chen, J. A., Lee, J. A., Hsing, C. P., Lee, M. C., Chen, S. M. (2025). The optimal dosage and duration of metformin for prevention and treatment of antipsychotic-induced weight gain: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 51(3), 625–363. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbae173[opens in new tab]

Prasad, F., De, R., Korann, V., Chintoh, A. F., Remington, G., Ebdrup, B. H., Siskind, D., Knop, F. K., Vilsbøll, T., Fink-Jensen, A., Hahn, M. K., & Agarwal, S. M. (2023). Semaglutide for the treatment of antipsychotic-associated weight gain in patients not responding to metformin: A case series. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 13, 20451253231165169. https://doi.org/10.1177/20451253231165169[opens in new tab]

Rubino, D., Abrahamsson, N., Davies, M., Hesse, D., Greenway, F. L., Jensen, C., Lingvay, I., Mosenzon, O., Rosenstock, J., Rubio, M. A., Rudofsky, G., Tadayon, S., Wadden, T. A., & Dicker, D. (2021). Effect of continued weekly subcutaneous semaglutide vs placebo on weight loss maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: The STEP 4 randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 325(14), 1414–1425. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.3224[opens in new tab]

Sabé, M., Pallis, K., Solmi, M., Crippa, A., Sentissi, O., & Kaiser, S. (2023). Comparative effects of 11 antipsychotics on weight gain and metabolic function in patients with acute schizophrenia: A dose-response meta-analysis. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 84(2), 22r14490. https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/comparative-effects-antipsychotics-weight-gain-metabolic-function-patients-acute-schizophrenia-meta-analysis/[opens in new tab]

Sa, B., Guillen, R., Subramaniam, A., Smith, A., Oldak, S. E., Maristany, A., Buonocore, B., & Padilla, V. (2026). Psychiatric effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists: A systematic review of emerging evidence. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 28(1), 50–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.70198[opens in new tab]

Saxena, A. R., Frias, J. P, Brown, B. S., Gorman, D. N., Vasa, S., & Birnbaum, M. J. (2023). Efficacy and safety of oral small molecule glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist danuglipron for glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 6(5), e2314493. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.14493[opens in new tab]

Silas, A., Musso, M., & Dolber, T. (2025). Antipsychotic-induced weight gain: What have we learned? Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports, 19(9). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-025-00762-z[opens in new tab]

Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2021, S. 596, 117th Cong. (2021). https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/596/text[opens in new tab]

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Medications containing semaglutide marketed for type 2 diabetes or weight loss. https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/992925.pdf[opens in new tab]

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Semaglutide prescribing information. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/215256s007lbl.pdf[opens in new tab]

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2026). Update: FDA’s ongoing evaluation of reports of suicidal thoughts or actions in patients taking certain type 2 diabetes and obesity medicines. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/update-fdas-ongoing-evaluation-reports-suicidal-thoughts-or-actions-patients-taking-certain-type/[opens in new tab]

Wang, W., (2024). Associations of semaglutide with first-time diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: Target trial emulation using nationwide real-world data in the US. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 20(12), 8661–8672. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14313[opens in new tab]

Zierhut, M., Weiser, M., Thanarajah, S. E., & Opel, N. (2025). GLP-1 receptor agonists for pharmacologically induced weight gain. JAMA Psychiatry, 82(11), 1063–1064. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2536[opens in new tab]

Instructors

Jonathan M. Meyer, MD

Voluntary Clinical Professor of Psychiatry University of California, San Diego

Dr. Jonathan Meyer is a Voluntary Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at University of California, San Diego, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the APA. Dr. Meyer is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Meyer has teaching duties at UC San Diego and is a Senior Academic Advisor to the California Dept. of State Hospitals. Dr. Meyer has lectured and published extensively on psychopharmacology. Along with Dr. Stephen Stahl he is co-author of The Clozapine Handbook published in 2019, The Clinical Use of Antipsychotic Plasma Levels released in 2021, and The Lithium Handbook published in 2023, all three by Cambridge University Press.

Nicole Errickson, LCSW

Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Georgia. She brings over 19 years experience in the social work field, primarily working in school systems as a school social worker and with the McKinney-Vento grant. Over her career, Nicole has had several opportunities to help develop and execute professional development events. Nicole has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Accreditation Approval Statements

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CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/8/24-8/8/27.

Social workers completing this course receive 1 general continuing education credits.

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