Fragmented mind being reassembled with personalized care.

Beyond Diagnosis: Why Mental Health Treatment Needs a Personalized Approach

Reese Marlowe in Health & Wellness September 2025 • 4 min read.

"Challenging the 'One-Size-Fits-All' Model in Mental Healthcare"

The field of mental health is at a potential turning point, with growing calls to move away from a disorder-oriented approach. The traditional method often favors cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but a new perspective suggests that this may not always be the most effective route for everyone. The challenge lies in moving beyond the 'one-size-fits-all' mentality.

A key issue is the lack of specificity in both mental disorders and interventions. Mental disorders are not simply biomedical diseases, but complex biopsychosocial conditions. This means that individuals with the same diagnosis can have very different underlying problems.

Similarly, interventions can work through multiple mechanisms, and different interventions may overlap in their processes. This complexity means that the same intervention may work for different problems, and different interventions may work for the same problem, depending on the individual and the situation.

The Problem with Broad Diagnoses

Fragmented mind being reassembled with personalized care.

Mental health diagnoses are often based on clusters of symptoms. However, the same symptoms can stem from different underlying problems, and the same problems can lead to different sets of symptoms. This means that individuals with the same diagnosis can have very different experiences and needs.

To illustrate this point, consider two individuals diagnosed with depression. One might be struggling with feelings of hopelessness due to a recent job loss, while the other may be experiencing similar symptoms due to chronic pain. While both share a diagnosis, their underlying problems are different, and they may require different treatment approaches.

Heterogeneity: Individuals with the same diagnosis can have different underlying problems.
Symptom Variability: The same problems can manifest in different sets of symptoms.
Treatment Needs: Different underlying problems may require different treatment approaches.

This is why a personalized approach is essential. By focusing on the specific problems of an individual, rather than just their diagnosis, clinicians can tailor treatment to address their unique needs. This may involve a combination of therapies, lifestyle changes, and other interventions designed to target the root causes of their distress.

Moving Towards Personalized Care

The current system of mental health treatment often relies on comparing broad interventions across diagnostic categories. However, this approach may be limited by the heterogeneity within those categories. Comparing 'mixed bags' of therapeutic effects on 'motley collections' of problems makes it difficult to determine which treatments work best for whom.

By shifting the focus to the specific mechanisms of interventions and the unique problems of individuals, we can move towards a more personalized approach. This may involve a more thorough assessment process to identify the underlying issues, as well as a willingness to adapt treatment plans based on individual needs and responses.

Ultimately, the goal is to provide more effective and targeted care that addresses the root causes of mental health issues and empowers individuals to live fulfilling lives. The future of mental health treatment lies in embracing the complexity of the human experience and tailoring interventions to meet the unique needs of each individual.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1177/2167702618812732, Alternate LINK

Title: A Need To Specify The Nonspecificity Of Mental Disorders And Interventions: Response To Hofmann And Hayes

Subject: Clinical Psychology

Journal: Clinical Psychological Science

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Authors: Justin King Hang Leung

Published: 2018-12-05

Everything You Need To Know

Why is a personalized approach needed in mental health treatment instead of just relying on a general diagnosis?

Mental health treatment traditionally relies on a 'one-size-fits-all' model, often favoring Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, based on broad diagnoses. A personalized approach challenges this by focusing on the specific problems of individuals rather than solely relying on diagnostic labels. This shift acknowledges that people with the same diagnosis can have very different underlying issues and therefore require different treatment strategies.

What are the potential problems with using broad diagnoses in mental health?

Broad diagnoses in mental health can be problematic because individuals with the same diagnosis may have different underlying issues, a concept known as heterogeneity. Additionally, the same underlying problems can manifest in different sets of symptoms, leading to varied experiences and needs. For example, two people diagnosed with depression might have it due to different reasons.

What does personalized mental healthcare actually involve, and how does it differ from traditional approaches?

Personalized mental healthcare involves tailoring treatment to address the unique needs of an individual by focusing on their specific problems rather than solely their diagnosis. This may involve a combination of therapies, lifestyle changes, and other interventions designed to target the root causes of their distress. It recognizes that a 'one-size-fits-all' approach may not be effective for everyone due to the heterogeneity of mental health conditions.

How does the current system of comparing broad interventions limit effective mental health treatment, and how does personalized care improve it?

The current system compares broad interventions across diagnostic categories, which is limited by the heterogeneity within those categories. Comparing 'mixed bags' of therapeutic effects on 'motley collections' of problems makes it difficult to determine which treatments work best for whom. Personalized care aims to move beyond this by focusing on the specific problems of the individual, potentially involving therapies, lifestyle changes and other interventions.

How does the biopsychosocial model play a role in a personalized approach to mental health treatment?

The biopsychosocial model recognizes that mental disorders are complex and influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. In personalized care, this means considering the interplay of these factors in an individual's life when designing a treatment plan. It acknowledges that mental health is not solely a biomedical issue but is also influenced by a person's environment, experiences, and social interactions.