Rethinking Mental Illness

Mental disorders have become the leading source of medical disability in the developed world. Beyond morbidity, mortality is also high for people with mental disorders, as these disorders both increase the risk for suicide, and also increase the risk of death from cardio-pulmonary disease, partly due to high rates of smoking and substance abuse. To alter this dire state of affairs, we will need better means of diagnosis and more effective treatments, and Dr. Insel suggests that the best path to both of these improvements is a different conceptual approach to mental disorders, namely an approach that incorporates the revolutions in genomics and neuroscience. Come join us for the lecture where Dr. Insel will describe three simple developments that can help us to “rethink” mental disorders.

Dr. Insel’s tenure at NIMH has been distinguished by groundbreaking findings in the areas of practical clinical trials, autism research, and the role of genetics in mental illnesses. He has published over 250 scientific articles and four books, including the Neurobiology of Parental Care (with Michael Numan) in 2003, and is a recipient of several awards, including the Outstanding Service Award from the U.S. Public Health Service and the 2010 La Fondation IPSEN Neuronal Plasticity Prize.

Free and open to the public.