Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have received funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to expand access to treatments designed to manage weight gain among young people taking second-generation antipsychotic medications (SGAs).

The project will focus on overweight or obese youth between the ages of 8 and 19 who are prescribed SGAs. These Bipolar Medicationare widely used to treat mood, autism and psychotic disorders. While effective at controlling symptoms, SGAs can cause significant weight gain, potentially contributing to long-term health problems and affecting young people’s satisfaction with their weight, social relationships and overall quality of life.

Weight gain is also one of the most common reasons young patients discontinue their medication.

Expanding Proven Interventions of Bipolar Medication

Led by Melissa DelBello, MD, and Christina Klein, PhD, the project aims to make healthy lifestyle education and metformin treatment more widely available at academic and community mental health centres.

The initiative will be implemented across centres in Ohio, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. Its broader goal is to ensure that more SGA-treated young people with overweight or obesity are offered evidence-based support for managing medication-related weight gain.

The researchers plan to build on findings from the MOBILITY study, a PCORI-funded comparative clinical effectiveness research project. MOBILITY found that combining metformin with healthy lifestyle education was more effective at reducing body mass index (BMI) than lifestyle education alone, with benefits observed after six months and continuing for two years.

Combining Bipolar Medication and Lifestyle Support

Metformin is commonly used to help manage blood sugar levels and can also assist with weight management, including by helping people feel fuller after eating.

The lifestyle programme developed for the research is designed to be accessible and practical. It includes an eight-minute educational video, along with online and printed resources covering healthy eating and physical activity.

MOBILITY demonstrated that these interventions could produce lasting benefits in real-world clinical settings. The findings were published in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2025 and are consistent with results from other recent research and updated clinical best-practice recommendations.

Supporting Patients and Families

Klein said the programme will give young people, caregivers and healthcare providers greater opportunities to discuss weight management as part of treatment planning.

Through online educational videos and supporting materials, the researchers aim to help families understand the potential benefits of metformin and healthy lifestyle changes while allowing patients and caregivers to play an active role in decisions about managing their weight and overall health.

The researchers hope the initiative will help make evidence-based weight-management strategies a routine part of care for young people receiving SGAs.

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