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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Schizophrenia
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1515307
Non-pharmacological interventions for weight in patients with schizophrenia: A network meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted- 1 Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
- 2 Guangzhou Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Background Patients with schizophrenia frequently experience weight gain and obesity due to antipsychotic medications. Effective weight management can improve their physical health and quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of different non-pharmacological interventions for weight control in patients with schizophrenia through a network meta-analysis. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases from 2000 to August 20, 2023 to identify randomized controlled trials examining non-pharmacological interventions for weight in schizophrenia. Network meta-analysis was performed using R software to synthesize data and rank interventions.Results Fourteen RCTs were included, comparing cognitive behavioral therapy (4 studies), psychoeducation (4 studies) and lifestyle intervention (5 studies) against usual care. For weight outcomes, lifestyle intervention was ranked the best (standard mean difference -3.93, 95%CI -5.98 to -1.90), followed by psychoeducation ) and cognitive therapy (-1.95, -3.76 to -0.32). For BMI, only lifestyle intervention significantly reduced BMI increase versus usual care (MD -1.47, 95%CI -2.74 to -0.17).Among non-pharmacological interventions for weight management in schizophrenia patients, lifestyle intervention involving diet and exercise appears the most effective approach and should be prioritized. More high-quality RCTs are needed to strengthen the evidence.
Keywords: Schizophrenia, non-pharmacological interventions, weight control, lifestyle intervention, Meta-analysis
Received: 22 Oct 2024; Accepted: 28 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ou-Yang, Liang, Huang, Zhang, Yu and Yan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiao-Ying Yan, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
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