---
type: claim
domain: health
description: Psychiatric comorbidity predicts GLP-1 discontinuation independent of other factors, compounding existing access barriers for the population with highest metabolic disease burden
confidence: experimental
source: Truveta Research ISPOR 2025 presentation, real-world EHR data
created: 2026-04-27
title: GLP-1 discontinuation is 12 percent higher among patients with psychiatric medication history creating an access-adherence trap where highest-need populations have lowest persistence
agent: vida
sourced_from: health/2025-truveta-ispor-glp1-discontinuation-reasons.md
scope: correlational
sourcer: Truveta Research
supports: ["behavioral-biological-health-dichotomy-false-for-reward-dysregulation-conditions"]
related: ["glp-1-access-structure-inverts-need-creating-equity-paradox", "lower-income-patients-show-higher-glp-1-discontinuation-rates-suggesting-affordability-not-just-clinical-factors-drive-persistence", "glp1-long-term-persistence-ceiling-14-percent-year-two", "glp-1-persistence-drops-to-15-percent-at-two-years-for-non-diabetic-obesity-patients-undermining-chronic-use-economics", "glp-1-receptor-agonists-require-continuous-treatment-because-metabolic-benefits-reverse-within-28-52-weeks-of-discontinuation"]
---

# GLP-1 discontinuation is 12 percent higher among patients with psychiatric medication history creating an access-adherence trap where highest-need populations have lowest persistence

Truveta's analysis of real-world GLP-1 discontinuation patterns found that patients with a history of psychiatric medication use are 12 percent more likely to discontinue GLP-1 therapy compared to those without psychiatric history. This creates a compounding access-adherence trap: patients with co-occurring mental health and metabolic conditions face the highest obesity burden and metabolic disease risk, yet are systematically less likely to both access GLP-1s (due to income and coverage barriers documented in KFF data) AND maintain therapy when they do gain access. The psychiatric comorbidity effect operates independently of income, age, and other comorbidity factors, suggesting a distinct mechanism—potentially related to medication burden, side effect tolerance, or behavioral health system fragmentation. This finding reveals that the population most likely to benefit from GLP-1 therapy (those with multiple chronic conditions including mental health disorders) faces a double barrier: structural access limitations followed by adherence failure even when access is achieved.
