This article examines the three theories of mental disorders. I will briefly describe them, talk about the causes of mental illness, explain how each theory approaches intervention, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each theory. The biological theory of mental and psychiatric disorders revolves around the brain and the fact that these disorders are diseases. , or diseases that cause disturbances in the brain to produce the effects of the disorder. This theory says that the brain has specific physical, chemical, or structural problems that cause abnormal behavior. With increasing technological and pharmaceutical advancements, intervention has taken precedence over chemical treatment of disorders. Biological theory focuses on the functioning and dysfunction of the brain, called neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and genetics. Psychiatrists focus on the role of neurotransmitters and how they affect human behavior, which leads to a very vague definition of a cure, namely psychiatric medications. These medications correct brain dysfunctions by changing the amount of neurotransmitters. However, these medications lack effectiveness in illnesses like schizophrenia, where they only suppress the symptoms and not the disorder itself. (Schwartz and Corcoran, 64-88). A weakness of chemical treatment of disorders is determining the dosage, and whether the patient responds to treatment in a predictable manner, and whether there are other external factors that may affect the treatment. Sometimes a treatment works for a while and then stops working. There are also other side effects of treatment that can cause other problems. The strengths of this type of treatment are that there is some control over the disorder by balancing the...... middle of paper ...... many facets and forms of treatment. Additionally, side effects of treatments can sometimes cause additional complications or may not have lasting effects. A combination of these theories is often used to treat mental disorders. But it is fascinating that the human brain can be influenced by chemical and sociological factors and that treatments can also use chemical and sociological methods. Works cited by Hoermann, Simone, Corinne E. Zupanick and Mark Dombeck. “Cognitive-behavioral theory of personality disorders.” - Personality disorders. Np, and Web. February 27, 2014. Schwartz, Sharon, Cheryl Corcoran, Christopher Peterson, and Peggy Thoits. “Chapters 4, 5 and 6.” A handbook for the study of mental health: social contexts, theories and systems. By Teresa L. Scheid and Tony N. Brown. Second ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010. 64-124. Print.