HUB FOR
METABOLIC PSYCHIATRY
Working at the interface of mental and physical health.
Funded by UKRI as part of the Mental Health Platform.
About the Hub
What is Metabolic Psychiatry?
Metabolism refers to all the chemical reactions that take place in the body to convert food into energy and building blocks, and to eliminate waste products. When this does not occur as usual, metabolic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, can arise.
There is growing evidence for a connection between metabolic and mental health. For example, people with severe mental illness (SMI)* are more likely to develop metabolic conditions. This could be as a result of symptoms, medications, reduced physical activity, changes in appetite etc., but there is research to suggest a bi-directional relationship between metabolic conditions and SMI. Metabolic psychiatry is the discipline investigating this relationship.
*There is ongoing discussion in the research and lived experience communities about what we mean when we say SMI and whether it is the best terminology to use. For the purposes of the Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry, SMI encompasses schizophrenia, bipolar and severe depression.
What is the Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry?
The Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry is one of five new research hubs forming the basis of the UKRI mental health research platform, established to accelerate progress towards novel and more effective treatments for SMI. The Hub is comprised of a network of universities with a long-standing interest in the interface between mental and physical health. We work closely with patient and lived experience organisations, including The McPin Foundation and The James Lind Alliance, to ensure our work is grounded in patient priorities. By combining our experience, skills and expertise we aim to accelerate progress toward new and more effective treatments for serious mental illness.
Why is this work important?
Metabolic psychiatry is a critical but under-researched area. Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) are at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature mortality, with a reduced life expectancy of at least 15 years. The Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry will investigate mental illness from a ‘whole-body’ perspective, rather than focusing solely on the brain or psychological symptoms. Across six workstreams, the hub aims to:
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Bring together metabolic science and mental health researchers from across disciplines to increase research activity and capacity in metabolic psychiatry.
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Advance our understanding of the bi-directional relationship between metabolic and mental health.
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Work closely with people with lived experience to identify, prioritise, develop and test acceptable metabolism-based treatments for SMI.
Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the Hub will explore the overlap between SMI and metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes, with a view to developing and testing metabolism-based treatments for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and severe depression. The Hub therefore fills an important gap in the current research landscape and represents an innovative programme of discovery science, clinical research and lived experience involvementwithin an area that is extremely high priority for people with SMI and their families.
Our Partners
UKRI Mental Health Platform Hubs
