The Mental Health Crisis: Why research breakthroughs are more critical than ever
With more people needing mental health help and fewer professionals entering the field, we need advancements in treatment and prevention
It’s no secret that our country is in the midst of a mental health crisis. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly one in five adults (about 20%) in the U.S. experiences a mental illness in any given year—and that number is on the rise. Despite the high prevalence of mental illness, many individuals do not receive the care they need. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes that only about half of those with a mental health disorder receive treatment, due to a number of factors including lack of access to proper care.
Mental illness refers to a range of conditions that can affect a person’s mood, thinking, and behavior that impact daily functioning, relationships, and overall quality of life. These may include:
Mood Disorders: Conditions like major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder involve disturbances in mood, such as prolonged periods of sadness or extreme mood swings.
Anxiety Disorders: These include disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder, characterized by excessive worry, fear, or anxiety.
Psychotic Disorders: Schizophrenia and other disorders involving delusions or hallucinations fall into this category, affecting a person’s perception of reality.
Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders: Conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involve intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors or mental acts.
Personality Disorders: Conditions like borderline personality disorder (BPD) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) involve pervasive and enduring patterns of behavior and inner experience that deviate from cultural expectations.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are present from early development and affect cognitive and emotional functioning.
Mental health professionals say treating mental illness requires a multi-faceted approach that considers biological factors (like genetics and brain chemistry), psychological factors (such as trauma, stress and early life experiences), and social factors (including life events and social environment). Treatment often involves a combination of approaches including psychotherapy (talk therapy), medication, lifestyle changes, and support.
Brain donation helps researchers study the physical changes and abnormalities in the brains of those who had mental illnesses.
By examining this tissue, scientists can identify structural and chemical differences associated with conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. Studies can also reveal insights into the underlying mechanisms of mental illnesses by examining neurotransmitter systems, brain connectivity, and cellular changes—all of which can lead to better understanding and potentially new treatments and preventative measures.
Consider donating your brain to neuroscience research to help future generations
Here’s how it works:
Register In Advance
Complete the online form here. Your brain bank will send consent forms and request additional information directly from you.
Inform Your Loved Ones
Talk about your decision and desire to donate your brain to neuroscience when you pass. Your family will need to play an important role in ensuring your wishes are carried out promptly.Notify Your Brain Bank
Your family will contact the brain bank immediately upon your death. The brain bank will make arrangements for the brain to be removed (respectfully from the back of the head so it is not disfiguring) typically at the family’s funeral home. There is no cost to the family.
Benefit From Your Gift
If requested your family may receive a Summary of Neuropathological findings about your brain. Even more importantly, so many families tell us it helps them heal knowing that science will be advanced with this valuable brain tissue.
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Common Questions
How can brain donation help those with mental illness?
Breakthroughs in brain disease depend on studies using donated post-mortem human brain tissue. Since one brain can provide tissue for dozens – sometimes hundreds – of neurological studies, an individual brain donation is a highly valuable gift that almost anyone can make.
Do I need to have a brain disorder to donate my brain?
No. To ensure research is thorough, it is extremely important that scientists have access to donated brain tissue from people who did not have brain diseases. This is known as control tissue and it is crucial that scientists compare it directly with tissue from a person with a neurological diagnosis to determine differences. In other words, non-diseased brains are extremely valuable to neuroscientists as they must be part of every study.
I’m already an organ donor. Does this include my brain?
No. Organ donation and brain donation are separate matters. An organ donor designation on a driver’s license does not include brain donation. Depending on the circumstances of death, it may be possible to donate organs for transplant as well as the brain for scientific research. If this is the case, the recovery teams will coordinate so that both kinds of donations can take place. Separate registrations for both organ donation and brain donation should be completed, if the intention is to donate both.