Metabolic Psychiatry

Metabolic Psychiatry is an emerging subspecialty of psychiatry that examines the role of metabolic dysfunction including impairments in mitochondrial function, insulin signaling, inflammation, and brain energy metabolism in the development, course, and treatment of mental illness. It explores how the brain’s ability to produce and use energy may influence mood, cognition, stress responses, and psychiatric symptoms. Metabolic Psychiatry also considers the connections between mental health and broader metabolic health, including glucose regulation, diet, sleep, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors. Treatment approaches may include metabolic interventions such as ketogenic metabolic therapy, nutritional strategies, exercise, sleep optimization, and conventional psychiatric care when appropriate. As a developing field, Metabolic Psychiatry continues to investigate how metabolic pathways may contribute to psychiatric conditions and whether targeting these pathways can complement existing treatments.