Why Mental Health Care Is Failing & What We Can Do About It with Dr. Chris Palmer

Mental health care is at a critical crossroads. Millions of people are searching for effective treatments, yet conventional options often fall short, leaving many without significant or lasting relief. Compounding this issue is the lack of funding directed toward exploring novel, root-cause therapies. The urgency for change is clear.

Dr. Chris Palmer, a Harvard psychiatrist and the author of *Brain Energy*, has been instrumental in raising awareness about the metabolic nature of mental illness. His pioneering work highlights how conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia often stem from underlying metabolic dysfunctions, including glucose hypometabolism, neurotransmitter imbalances, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

In this interview, Dr. Palmer dives into the science behind mental illnesses and shares groundbreaking insights into how ketogenic therapy is changing lives.

In this interview, you’ll learn:
- Why the current mental health system struggles to provide effective care
- How ketogenic therapies and lifestyle changes are reshaping psychiatry
- The role of mitochondria and metabolism in brain health
- The urgent need for research on tapering medications safely
- The current state of mental health research funding and the path towards systemic change
- Why mental illness should be viewed as a systemic condition, not just a brain disorder

This conversation highlights the urgent need for change in psychiatry, how metabolic therapies are offering new hope for those living with mental illness, and the path towards more effective evidence based care and better patient outcomes.

*Expert Featured:*
Dr. Chris Palmer
X: @ChrisPalmerMD
www.ChrisPalmerMD.com

Purchase Brain Energy: https://brainenergy.com/#order-window

*Studies Mentioned:*
_Beyond comorbidities: metabolic dysfunction as a root cause of neuropsychiatric disorders_
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-advances/article/abs/beyond-comorbidities-metabolic-dysfunction-as-a-root-cause-of-neuropsychiatric-disorders/9B7489EF96DCA9F41005DD7E61B27023

_The Ketogenic Diet as a Transdiagnostic Treatment for Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Mechanisms and Clinical Outcomes_
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40501-024-00339-4

*CMEs Mentioned:*
_Brain Energy: The Metabolic Theory of Mental Illness_
- https://www.mycme.com/courses/brain-energy-the-metabolic-theory-of-mental-illness-9615

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.

Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

*About us:*
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

*Timestamps:*
0:00: Introduction to Dr. Chris Palmer, his work on ketogenic therapies, and the evolution of psychiatry since Brain Energy.
3:23: How ketogenic therapies are reshaping mental health care, with insights from promising clinical trials.
5:37: Patient success stories
8:00: The connection between metabolism and brain health
9:06: How mitochondria influence brain health and mental disorders
11:18: Understanding the chronic disease epidemic and its link to mental health.
12:59: What does evidence-based/science-backed medicine mean to Dr. Chris Palmer?
20:31: Why only 40% of mental health patients receive evidence-based care in the U.S.
23:13: Strategies to improve mental health care and outcomes
24:25: What the NIMH has been doing?
26:00: Challenges of genetic research and the limits of gene-focused models
31:53: What Dr. Palmer thinks is the primary cause of mental illness
33:58: Is the NIMH’s brain-focused research model working?
37:32: Why prioritizing clinical trials is crucial for advancing mental health treatments.
46:43: Interventions to help patients taper off psychiatric medications safely.
51:34: Dr. Palmer’s optimism for the future of mental health care and metabolic therapies.