In which ways is a purely biological approach to mental illness detrimental? 

The biological approach to identifying, diagnosing, and treating mental health disorders looks at mental illnesses as genetically determined brain conditions. A strict biological approach may hardly account for life experiences and trauma when considering the formation of psychiatric conditions. Mental health professionals and researchers who subscribe to the biological approach are often solely focused on finding the right medications for patients. However, research supports the idea that mental illnesses arise due to a complex interaction between an individual’s genes and their experiences in their environment. 

It has been shown that many mental disorders have much overlap, and are not biologically separate illnesses. Further, many people that are diagnosed with the same disorder will have entirely different paths and potential recoveries. For example, many people suffering from severe disorders like schizophrenia can make partial or, in some cases, full recoveries without taking any medication. Genetics do play a role in mental illnesses, but hundreds or even thousands of genes that are present in a person with a mental disorder are each only slightly to blame for the development of the illness. 

Finally, the biological approach to mental illness can increase stigmatization. If people think of mental illnesses as stemming solely from genetics and not from poor life circumstances, they may be more likely to categorize mentally ill people as “other”.

How can we better approach mental illness?

Environmental factors and trauma are often largely to blame for the development of a mental illness. According to research in recent years, these effects are so strong that they can alter brain structure. Instead of only being offered medication to combat the disorder, patients should have access to psychotherapy and practical advice counselors. Issues that commonly contribute to the development of mental illness in individuals are, among others, childhood poverty; inequality; physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; belonging to an ethnic minority; bullying, and separation from parents. 

Reducing the prevalence of mental illness in the population can likely be achieved by diminishing traumatic and damaging factors in childhood and adolescence. There are still many experience-related factors that could contribute to mental illness development that have not been studied because of the long-running biological focus of psychiatric conditions in the scientific community. While medications and genetic research prove helpful for some people with mental illnesses, addressing issues like childhood poverty will prevent many individuals from ever developing a mental illness at all. Society’s current portrayal of mental illness as a biological disease generally only helps to increase the stigmatization of mentally ill people.