Prevention of antipsychotic-induced weight gain with early behavioural intervention in first-episode psychosis: 2-year results of a randomized controlled trial

While weight-management interventions are effective in attenuating antipsychotic-induced weight, there is no available evidence on their long-term effectiveness. This study sought to investigate the 2-year effects of an early behavioural intervention (EBI) designed to prevent antipsychotic-induced weight gain in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients. Sixty-one FEP patients were randomized to receive either EBI or treatment-as-usual. Intention-to-treat and observed-cases analysis showed that patients in the EBI group gained significantly less weight than those allocated to routine care at intervention completion (3-month follow-up) with treatment effects maintained over 3 months. Differences between groups were no longer significant by 12 months. Weight-management interventions may need to be offered for longer periods to maintain preventative effects. Alternatively, booster sessions may need to be regularly delivered after intervention completion. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.