Wiepke Cahn

Prof. Wiepke Cahn has been a research psychiatrist at the University Medical Center Utrecht since 1996. In 2003 she obtained her PhD titled ‘brain morphology during the early course of schizophrenia’. She has set up various (multicenter) research projects, including GROUP. She has been chief psychiatrist for the schizophrenia program at the UMCUtrecht and project manager for the Utrecht Youth Cohort. Currently she is heading the ‘body & life’ clinic at the department of psychiatry. In 2016 she was appointed professor of psychiatry. Her research interest is the physical (ill-)health in psychiatric disorders and lifestyle psychiatry.

Wiepke Cahn has (co)authored more than 300 papers and book chapters and has been chief editor of the textbooks 'schizophrenia spectrum disorders' and 'lifestyle psychiatry' and is the author of 'focus on the families with psychiatric problems'. Her non-research-based activities consist of treating patients and their families with psychiatric and somatic co-morbidities.

Research Line

Physical health in psychiatric disorders and lifestyle psychiatry.

Key publications

1. de Boer N, Cahn W. Antipsychotic-induced weight gain: Is the weight over? New guidelines needed. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2022 Sep;146(3):185-189

2. Burin LM, Hahn MK, da Rocha NS, van Amelsvoort T, Bartels-Velthuis AA, Bruggeman R, de Haan L, Schirmbeck F, Simons CJP, van Os J, Cahn W. Long-term treatment of antipsychotics and combined therapy with other psychotropic medications inducing weight gain in patients with non-affective psychotic disorder: Evidence from GROUP, a longitudinal study. Psychiatry Res. 2022 Aug;314:114680. 

3. de Nijs J, Pet MA; GROUP Investigators.. Metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia patients associated with poor premorbid school performance in early adolescence. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2016 Apr;133(4):289-97.

4. Scheewe TW, Backx FJ, Takken T, Jörg F, van Strater AC, Kroes AG, Kahn RS, Cahn W. Exercise therapy improves mental and physical health in schizophrenia: a randomised controlled trial. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2013 Jun;127(6):464-73.

5. Welie H, Derks EM, Verweij KH, de Valk HW, Kahn RS, Cahn W. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increased in relatives of patients with a non-affective psychotic disorder. Schizophr Res. 2013 Feb;143(2-3):354-7.