Establishing a psychiatry clinic within an Australian publicly funded specialist obesity service

Objective In January 2023, the Canberra Health Services Department of Bariatric Medicine introduced a psychiatry clinic into its model of care to optimise the management of patients with comorbid obesity and mental illness. This paper describes the scope of the psychiatry clinic and reviews patient characteristics and management during the first year of operation. Methods This study is an outline of the clinic and a retrospective review of patient demographics, body mass index, psychiatric diagnoses and initial management. Descriptive statistics were performed (2024.LRE.00027). Results Clinic scope, staffing and patient eligibility were presented. Of the 22 patients referred, 20 attended initial assessment and at least one review (102 encounters). Females outnumbered males (82%). Mean age was 44 years (18–73 years). Mean body mass index was 51.74 kg/m 2 (29.36–74.23 kg/m 2 ). Dep