Why Psychiatrists Should Reframe “Mental Illness” as “Brain Health”

“We need a new brain health paradigm based on neuroscience and hope,” says Daniel G. Amen, MD, CEO and founder of Amen Clinics in Newport Coast, California, and 12-time New York Times bestselling author.

Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Learning Network corresponded with Dr Amen ahead of his session, “The End of Mental Illness: Towards a New Paradigm for Psychiatry,” presented at Evolution of Psychotherapy on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. Dr Amen explains why the term “mental illness” is outdated, the data supporting that argument, and offers advice for clinicians seeking to shift their mindset from “treating mental illness” to “healing brains.”

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Editor’s Note: This piece has been lightly edited for clarity.

Brionna Mendoza, Associate Digital Editor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Learning Network: Could you briefly explain why the term “mental illness” is outdated, and contributes to stigma that patients receiving psychiatry treatment may encounter?

Daniel G. Amen, MD: I hate the term “mental illness.” It makes people feel like their issues are due to a weak character or personality flaw. When you call someone “mental,” it demeans them. This term is highly stigmatizing and discourages people from getting the help they need. 

I believe we are on the cusp of a new revolution based on nearly 250,000 brain scans, which taught us that most psychiatric issues are not mental health issues at all. Rather, they are brain health issues that steal people’s minds.  This one idea changes everything. Get your brain healthy and your mind will follow.

Mental illness places emphasis on your mind or psyche, which is vague and hard to define, while our brain imaging work clearly shows these are “brain health” issues. 

No one is shamed for cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, even though they have significant lifestyle contributions. But people often feel shame for having depression, panic disorders, bipolar disorder, addictions, or schizophrenia. This has to change.

We need a new brain health paradigm based on neuroscience and hope. 

Mendoza, PBHLN: What are some of the insights you gleaned from the world’s largest functional brain imagining database that contributed to your understanding of mental illnesses as “brain health issues that steal your mind”? 

Dr Amen: Over the last 30-plus years, my colleagues and I have performed nearly 250,000 brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) scans. Our brain-imaging work clearly shows that the human brain is an organ, the same way the heart is an organ, and a person’s mental health depends on their brain health. When your brain works right, you work right. When your brain is unhealthy—for whatever reason—you’re more likely to have trouble with your mental health. 

The number one lesson we have learned from our brain imaging work is that you are not stuck with the brain you have. You can change your brain, and when you do, you can improve your mental well-being and your life.  

Other valuable insights show that mental health conditions are not singular, simple disorders. They all have multiple types. This is why taking a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment will never work. What helps one patient get better may make another patient worse. Because of this, treatment needs to be tailored to the specific subtype.  

Brain imaging also helps patients get better faster. There are several reasons why. For example, when brain imaging is included as part of a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, it leads to more accurate diagnoses. This paves the way to more effective, targeted treatment plans, which means fewer treatment failures.

With brain imaging, people see their problems as medical, not moral. This decreases the shame and guilt they feel and encourages them to seek help earlier. It also increases compliance, which is a critical component of getting well. 

I also love how it increases understanding and forgiveness from their families. When a patient has a strong support network, it helps keep them on track with their treatment protocol.

Mendoza, PBHLN: What advice do you have for mental healthcare professionals who would like to shift their mindset from “treating mental illness” to helping patients “heal their brains”?

Dr Amen: Reframing mental health as brain health changes everything. We have already trained thousands of mental healthcare professionals to make this shift with our brain health coaching courses. Anyone who wants to help patients heal their brains should learn the basic principles of a brain-healthy life, the brain systems involved in behavior, how brain types influence behavior, and how to sub-type common conditions.

Mendoza, PBHLN: Any final thoughts on your session topic that you’d like to impart upon our audience? 

Dr Amen: It’s so exciting to see so many professionals joining the brain health revolution and changing the outdated paradigm. Together, we’re moving toward a modern brain-based, whole-person program that is rooted in neuroscience and hope. And this will help all of us in our main goal as provider: achieving better patient outcomes.

Daniel G. Amen, MD, is a double board-certified psychiatrist, 12-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Amen Clinics, and brain imaging pioneer. He has written and hosted 17 public television specials about the brain. Discover Magazine named his brain imaging research as one of the top 100 stories in Science for 2015.