A Fat Deficiency Disorder? The Lipid Connection in Depression

FACULTY

James Greenblatt, MD
Founder, Psychiatry Redefined
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Tufts University School of Medicine
Boston, Massachusetts
drg@psychiatryredefined.org

INTENDED LEARNERS

This educational activity is specifically designed for healthcare and mental healthcare clinicians and professionals involved and/or interested in the treatment of patients with symptoms of depression.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After participating in this activity, learners should be better able to:

• Understand the essential roles of cholesterol and EFAs in brain structure, signaling, and mood regulation
• Explain how lipid composition influences cell membranes, myelin, and neurotransmission
• Identify common dietary, metabolic, and iatrogenic contributors to cholesterol and EFA deficiencies
• Review the evidence linking low cholesterol and EFA imbalance to depression and suicide risk
• Evaluate research supporting the clinical use of omega-3 and other EFA interventions
• Apply evidence-based testing and supplementation strategies within a functional psychiatry framework

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Depression is typically approached through the lens of neurotransmitters and pharmacology, yet foundational aspects of brain biology—particularly lipid metabolism—are often overlooked. Cholesterol and essential fatty acids (EFAs) are not optional nutrients; they are structural and functional components of the brain, critical for cell membrane integrity, myelin formation, and efficient neurotransmission.

In this one-hour clinical webinar, Dr. James Greenblatt examines the role of cholesterol and EFAs in mental health, with a focus on how deficiencies and dysregulation may contribute to depression and increased suicide risk. Drawing from current research and clinical experience, this session moves beyond outdated dietary dogma to explore the biological realities of lipid physiology in the brain.

Participants will learn how to recognize lipid-related risk factors in clinical practice, interpret relevant labs through a functional lens, and apply evidence-based testing and supplementation strategies as part of a precision, integrative approach to treating depression.

To be eligible for documentation of credit for each session attended, learners must participate in the activity and complete the session(s) and overall conference evaluations. Participants who complete the evaluation online within 30 days of the conference will receive documentation of credit. Your certificate may not load if you are accessing it from a smartphone, or settings of your browser do not allow for a new tab/window to open.

Once a certificate has been claimed, physicians and pharmacists may elect for credits to be submitted on their behalf to their boards via additional fields that will appear within the Claim Certificate page. Credits must be submitted through this process to be reported to the American Board of Surgery and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

Live Date: February 15, 2026 – 7:30 PM EST
Estimated Time to Complete: 1 hour

There is no fee associated with participation in this activity.

HARDWARE/SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

The activity is best supported via a computer or device with current versions of the following browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. A PDF reader is required for print publications.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by HMP Education and Psych Redefined. HMP Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Note: This statement is not an indication of approved credits. Please see below for full accreditation details, including credit types and totals, for this activity.

PHYSICIANS

HMP Education designates this internet live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIANS 

The activity is certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, ANCC nursing credit, and/or ACPE pharmacy credit. The following states currently accept one or more of these credit types toward naturopathic CE requirements: Arizona, California, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) licensed in these states may be eligible to apply the credit earned from this activity toward their CE requirements. Licensees are responsible for verifying applicability with their state licensing board, as acceptance criteria may vary and are subject to change.

PHARMACISTS

This internet live, knowledge-based activity (Universal Activity Number: JA0006201-9999-26-021-L01-P) has been approved for a maximum of 1.00 contact hour (0.10 CEU).

Note: The certificate is not the official record of your participation in the activity. The official record of credit will be the information in the CPE Monitor system. Following ACPE Policy, credit must be transmitted to NABP through CPE Monitor within 60 days from the date you complete this CPE activity.  

NURSES

This continuing nursing education internet live activity awards 1.00 contact hour.

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #18006 for 1.00 contact hour.

NURSE PRACTITIONERS

American of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Program accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATES/ASSISTANTS

HMP Education has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit(s) for activities planned in accordance with the AAPA CME Criteria. This internet live activity is designated for 1.00 AAPA Category 1 credit. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

DIETITIANS

PSYCHOLOGISTS

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. This internet live activity awards 1.00 CE credits.

SOCIAL WORKERS

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, HMP Education is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this internet live course course receive 1 general continuing education credits.

USE OF PROPRIETARY NAMES

This continuing medical education activity may include device or medicine brand names for participant clarity purposes only, due to the presence of different branded versions of the same product. No product promotion or recommendation should be inferred.

UNAPPROVED AND/OR INVESTIGATIONAL USES OF DRUGS AND DEVICES

This activity may contain information about experimental and other uses of drugs or devices that are not currently approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) of the European Union or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States. Participants are strongly encouraged to consult approved product labeling for any drug or device mentioned in this activity before use. The opinions expressed during this activity are the opinions of the respective authors, presenters, or moderators and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of HMP Education.

DISCLAIMERS

The material presented and related discussions are not intended to be medical advice, and the presentation or discussion of such material is not intended to create and does not establish a provider-patient relationship. Medical advice of any nature should be sought from an individual’s own healthcare provider.

The opinions expressed in this educational activity are those of the faculty and are not attributable to HMP Global or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. Clinical judgment must guide each professional in weighing the benefits of treatment against the risk of toxicity. Dosages, indications, and methods of use for products referred to in this activity are not necessarily the same as indicated in the package insert for each product, may reflect the clinical experience of the presenters, and may be derived from the professional literature or other clinical sources. Consult complete prescribing information before administering.

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

HMP Education is an independent provider of continuing medical education. HMP Education has no proprietary or financial interest in medical or healthcare products over which the FDA (USA) or EMA (EU) has regulatory authority.

In accordance with our disclosure policies, HMP Education is committed to ensuring balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor for all accredited continuing education. These policies include assigning relevance to and mitigating all perceived or real relevant financial relationship (conflicts of interest) between any individual with control over the content and any ineligible company (commercial interest) as defined by the ACCME and CPME.

Any individual with control over accredited content, including planner, faculty, and reviewer, is required to globally disclose:

1. Individual relationship(s) or lack thereof, and its nature, with any/all ineligible company, and;

2. Any investigational, off-label, or non-FDA approved content or discussion

HMP Education has reviewed these disclosures, assigned relevance based on the relationship and scope of content, and identified those with the potential to compromise the goals and educational integrity of the education. Relevant relationships, or lack thereof, are shared with the learner.

Education has been independently peer-reviewed to validate content, mitigate identified financial relationships (conflicts of interest), and ensure:

1. All recommendations involving clinical medicine are based on evidence that is accepted within the medical profession as adequate justification for their indications and contraindications in the care of patients.

2. All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in accredited continuing education in support or justification of a patient care recommendation conforms to generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis.

3. Content is appropriate, fair and balanced, unbiased, referenced, and non-promotional.

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated. 

FACULTY

The faculty have reported the following:

James Greenblatt, MD: Speaker- Pure Encapsulations; Founder & Author Royalties—Psychiatry Redefined

PLANNING COMMITTEE

Planning for this activity was conducted by faculty advisors. To further support the development of the content, additional information regarding professional roles, responsibilities, and teamwork was gathered through survey input from our target audience and/or a comprehensive literature review.

HMP Education planners and staff include Brielle Calleo; Heather Getz; James Greenblatt, MD; Samantha Joy; Randy Robbin; and Andrea Zimmerman, EdD, CHCP.

James Greenblatt, MD: Speaker—Pure Encapsulations; Founder & Author Royalties—Psychiatry Redefined

No other HMP Education staff has disclosed a relevant financial relationship with any ineligible company (commercial interest).

ADA STATEMENT

HMP Education complies with the legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the rules and regulations thereof.Any participant in this educational activity who needs accommodation(s) may submit a request to the support team.

PRIVACY POLICY

HMP Education protects the privacy of personal and other information regarding participants, educational partners, and joint providers. HMP Education and our joint providers will not release personally identifiable information to a third party without the individual’s consent, except such information as is required for reporting purposes to the appropriate accrediting agency. HMP Education maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your nonpublic personal information.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT

No commercial interest provided financial support for this continuing education activity.

CONTACT US 

For immediate assistance, please explore our HMP Education Help Center or chat with our Virtual CE Assistant, which can answer most common questions related to claiming credits and the HMP Education website. If you have a question or grievance that cannot be answered by our Virtual CE assistant and Help Center, please submit a request to contact the support team. Our accreditation and compliance team will respond to your inquiry within one business day.