Mental Health and Metabolic Health: The Science and Art of Integrated Care
- Continuing Education
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Overview
Mental health and metabolic health are deeply interconnected. Mental health conditions rarely occur in isolation; they frequently co-occur with one another and with common medical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and neurological disorders. These conditions often overlap, interact, or present with shared symptoms, making coordinated, integrated care essential to improving long-term outcomes—particularly for individuals with chronic illness.
People living with mental illness die, on average, 10–20 years earlier than the general population, with much of this excess mortality driven not by suicide, but by preventable cardiometabolic disease and lifestyle-related factors. At the same time, metabolic conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes—now increasingly prevalent—are strongly associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and cognitive decline. Together, these observations underscore a growing consensus: mental and physical health are fundamentally interconnected.
A robust and expanding body of research now demonstrates shared pathophysiological pathways underlying both mental and metabolic disorders. These include chronic inflammation, immune and neuroendocrine dysregulation, insulin resistance, circadian disruption, alterations in the gut microbiome, and mitochondrial and bioenergetic dysfunction. Collectively, these mechanisms challenge traditional diagnostic silos and point toward the need for more integrated, systems-based models of care.
In many respects, this work builds on familiar foundations—such as the integration of behavioral health into primary care, attention to social determinants of health, lifestyle medicine, preventive care, and mind–body approaches. However, this conference goes further. It synthesizes emerging mechanistic science—particularly in metabolic biology—with clinical evidence, patient experience, evolving therapeutics, and real-world health system considerations. In doing so, it offers a more complete framework for understanding why mental illness so often co-occurs with metabolic disease, why standard treatments may fall short or, at times, worsen outcomes, and how targeted metabolic interventions may improve care.
Through expert lectures, interdisciplinary panels, patient perspectives, and an optional one-day clinical workshop, participants will explore how integrated metabolic and mental health approaches can complement existing treatments, inform personalized care, and support recovery. The conference emphasizes scientific rigor, clinical safety, ethical responsibility, and team-based implementation, making it relevant for physicians, psychotherapists, nurses, dietitians, health coaches, researchers, and health care leaders.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the bidirectional relationships between mental health and metabolic health.
- Explain emerging evidence linking metabolic and bioenergetic dysfunction to neuropsychiatric disorders.
- Evaluate and implement metabolic and lifestyle-based interventions—including nutrition and dietary strategies, exercise, sleep optimization, medications, supplements, stress-reduction, and light therapy—for their potential roles in mental health care.
- Apply principles of integrated, team-based care to address mental health, metabolic health, and social determinants of health simultaneously across diverse clinical settings.
Developed and Offered By:
Continuing Education courses are developed by faculty from Harvard Medical School's teaching hospitals and accredited by Harvard Medical School. This course is offered by McLean Hospital.
Who Should Participate
Physicians, Psychologists, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Counselors, Social Workers, Dietitians, and Health Coaches
Faculty
Harvard Medical School Continuing Education attracts the best and brightest faculty from all around the world. As a student in this course, you’ll have access to outstanding course directors and faculty.
Course Directors
Christopher Palmer
MD | Course Director
- Founder and Director, Metabolic and Mental Health Program, McLean Hospital
- Director, Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education, McLean Hospital
- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Diane Bemis, BFA
Senior Administrative Assistant, McLean Hospital
Paolo Cassano, MD, PhD
Psychiatrist, Mass General Brigham
Director, Brain Photobiomodulation Clinic Mass General Brigham
Greg Curtis, MD
Internal Medicine Physician, Signature Healthcare
Ashley Gearhardt, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan
Marjorie Overhiser, BA
Conference Coordinator, McLean Hospital
Edward Phillips, MD
Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School
Chief, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Boston VA Healthcare System
Jong Rho, MD
Section Chief, Child Neurology Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital
Professor of Pediatrics (Neurology)
Bret Scher, MD
Medical Director, Baszucki Group
Director, Metabolic Mind
Maya Schumer, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Research Program, McLean Hospital
Robert Waldinger, MD
Director, Psychodynamic Therapy and Research, Massachusetts General Hospital
Director, Harvard Study of Adult Development
Roger Weiss, MD
Chief, Division of Alcohol, Drugs, and Addition, McLean Hospital
Director, Alcohol, Drug, and Addiction Clinical Research Program, McLean Hospital
John Winkelman, MD, PhD
Chief, Sleep Disorders Clinical Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital
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Course Fees
Registration Details
You may register through our secure online environment and will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of your payment. Prices include CME credit, electronic syllabus, refreshments, continental breakfast. At the end of the registration process, a $10 non-refundable processing fee will be added to your registration.
Accreditation
The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
For the purpose of recertification, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board and American Nurses Credentialing Center accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ issued by organizations accredited by the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education). We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) states that AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are acceptable for continuing medical education requirements for recertification. We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has an agreement of mutual recognition of continuing medical education (CME) credit with the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS). Additional information regarding this agreement may be found on the European Union of Medical Specialties website.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society or college as accredited group learning activities.