Is "Brain Disease" A Useful Term For Mental Illness?

A recent paper published in Schizoprenia Bulletin questions both the scientific evidence and potential effect of the current trend to change the language used to describe certain serious mental illnesses (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar affective disorder) to "brain diseases." It is argued that changing nomenclature will not be effective in reducing stigma unless the treatment and financial circumstances of the seriously mentally ill are improved. Finally, it is suggested that we need to expand our understanding and treatment of "physical illnesses" to encompass the social and psychological dimensions, not narrow our view of psychiatric illnesses.

For the abstract.