Summary

Mental illness is a term used to describe significant disturbances in thought, mood or behavior that cause patients to have difficulty functioning psychologically. Patients may have difficulty interacting with others in social settings, performing efficiently on the job or at school, forging strong relationships or carrying out other aspects of day-to-day life.

There are many different formally recognized types of mental illness. Approximately 54 million people in the United States experience some form of mental illness annually, according to the National Mental Health Association.

Mental illnesses are classified according to the symptoms that a patient experiences, as well as the clinical features of the illness. Some of the major categories of mental illness include anxiety disorders, cognitive disorders, developmental disorders, dissociative disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia and substance abuse disorders.

Although many mental illnesses are chronic, others are cyclical (e.g., seasonal affective disorder) or temporary (e.g., postpartum depression) in duration.

There are many different potential causes of mental illness. Some people are born with genetic factors or chemical imbalances that make them more likely than others to develop a particular mental condition. Risk factors other than biology, such as a traumatic event or environmental stress, can also trigger mental illness. In some cases, the cause of a particular mental illness is unknown. However, researchers are currently working to identify factors that contribute to these conditions.

The signs and symptoms of mental illness vary significantly in both nature and severity depending on the individual and the condition that is present. Some are obvious, whereas others are more subtle. In diagnosing a mental illness, a physician or a non-physician mental health professional will note these signs and symptoms, as well as any impairment in occupation or social functioning that is present.

Psychotherapy, medications or a combination of both are often used to treat symptoms associated with mental illness. Many mental illnesses cannot be prevented. However, some symptoms can be prevented or managed before they worsen by taking steps such as trying to remain positive about life circumstances, learning and using problem-solving skills that can help one cope with life’s challenges, and discussing concerns and difficulties with trusted family members and friends.

About mental illness

Mental illness is a term used to describe significant disturbances in thought, mood or behavior that cause patients to have trouble functioning in at least some aspects of day-to-day life. There are many formally recognized forms of mental illness. Approximately 54 million people in the United States experience some form of mental illness annually, according to the National Mental Health Association (NMHA).

Many mental illnesses are chronic. However, others are cyclical (e.g., seasonal affective disorder) or temporary (e.g., postpartum depression) in duration.

Many people have difficulties with depression, anxiety or other problems, but lack the persistent, severe symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria for particular mental health disorders. People who have good mental health are in control of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors most of the time. They usually feel good about themselves and have strong relationships with family and friends. Such people have a strong foundation of mental health that allows them to keep problems in perspective when they occur.

In contrast, people with mental illnesses have disruptions in thoughts, feelings, moods and their ability to relate to others. They often have problems interacting with others in social settings or performing efficiently on the job or at school. Patients may find that mental illness inhibits their ability to forge strong relationships.

Today, society is more aware of the causes and costs of mental illness than ever before. As a result, people may be more willing to seek treatment for their illness. Nonetheless, many mentally ill people are unaware of their options or still feel stigmatized by their condition and are reluctant to take advantage of the help that is available to reduce their symptoms.

Types and differences of mental illnesses

Mental illnesses are classified according to the symptoms that a patient experiences, as well as the clinical features of the illness. All recognized mental illnesses have been assigned diagnostic criteria by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Major categories of mental illness include:

*Anxiety disorders. Conditions in which patients feel anxious or distressed for no logical reason. People with these disorders may experience chronic, intense and irrational anxiety on a regular or even daily basis. As a result, anxiety disorders can seriously diminish quality of life, hampering a person’s ability to work, travel and form and maintain interpersonal relationships. Examples include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and various specific phobias.

*Cognitive disorders. Conditions marked by impaired awareness, perception, reasoning, memory and judgment. Patients with these disorders have difficulty with the basic processes of thinking. Examples include delirium, dementia and amnestic (amnesia) disorder.

*Developmental disorders. Conditions that delay or impede a child's physical or psychological development. They begin in childhood and involve a wide range of symptoms. Examples include autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities.

*Dissociative disorders. Conditions in which patients frequently escape reality by suppressing their memories or taking on other identities. This dissociation occurs when a group of normal mental processes becomes separated from other mental processes. Examples include dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, dissociative identity disorder ([DID] formerly known as multiple personality disorder) and depersonalization disorder.

*Eating disorders. Conditions that involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, including unhealthy reduction of food intake, severe overeating and/or dangerous methods to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting. Examples include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, rumination disorder and pica.

*Mood disorders. Conditions with an abnormal mood as their primary feature. “Mood” refers to the sustained feelings and emotions through which a person interprets life. Most mood disorders are defined and diagnosed by the occurrence of one or more mood episodes, or periods of abnormal happiness or sadness. Examples include major depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia and seasonal affective disorder.

*Personality disorders. Conditions in which a person struggles to deal with other people and acts in a manner that is inflexible and not well-suited to coping with the demands and changes of life. Personality disorders begin by early adulthood, remain stable over time and create distress or impairment in a person’s life. Examples include borderline personality disorder (BPD), antisocial personality disorder and avoidant personality disorder (APD).

0Schizophrenia. Chronic mental disorder that makes it difficult to distinguish between real and imagined experiences, think logically or have normal emotional responses to situations.

*Sexual disorders. Conditions that prevent people from having rich and fulfilling sexual relationships. These disorders involve problems related to sexual functioning, desire or performance. Examples include sexual dysfunctions, paraphilias and gender identity disorders.

*Sleep disorders. Conditions that involve include difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, sleeping excessively or abnormal behaviors during sleep. Examples include dyssomnias (e.g., insomnia, narcolepsy), parasomnias (e.g., night terrors, sleepwalking), sleep disorders associated with medical or psychiatric conditions and proposed sleep disorders (sleep problems for which there is insufficient information to establish them as distinct disorders).

*Somatoform disorders. Conditions in which individuals experience symptoms that cannot be attributed to a physical cause. Hypochondriasis is an example of a somatoform disorder.

*Substance abuse disorders. Problems that are associated with the abuse of alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, nonprescription medications, prescription medications and illegal drugs.

Types and differences of mental illnesses

Mental illnesses are classified according to the symptoms that a patient experiences, as well as the clinical features of the illness. All recognized mental illnesses have been assigned diagnostic criteria by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Major categories of mental illness include:

*Anxiety disorders. Conditions in which patients feel anxious or distressed for no logical reason. People with these disorders may experience chronic, intense and irrational anxiety on a regular or even daily basis. As a result, anxiety disorders can seriously diminish quality of life, hampering a person’s ability to work, travel and form and maintain interpersonal relationships. Examples include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and various specific phobias.

*Cognitive disorders. Conditions marked by impaired awareness, perception, reasoning, memory and judgment. Patients with these disorders have difficulty with the basic processes of thinking. Examples include delirium, dementia and amnestic (amnesia) disorder.

*Developmental disorders. Conditions that delay or impede a child's physical or psychological development. They begin in childhood and involve a wide range of symptoms. Examples include autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities.

*Dissociative disorders. Conditions in which patients frequently escape reality by suppressing their memories or taking on other identities. This dissociation occurs when a group of normal mental processes becomes separated from other mental processes. Examples include dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, dissociative identity disorder ([DID] formerly known as multiple personality disorder) and depersonalization disorder.

*Eating disorders. Conditions that involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, including unhealthy reduction of food intake, severe overeating and/or dangerous methods to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting. Examples include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, rumination disorder and pica.

*Mood disorders. Conditions with an abnormal mood as their primary feature. “Mood” refers to the sustained feelings and emotions through which a person interprets life. Most mood disorders are defined and diagnosed by the occurrence of one or more mood episodes, or periods of abnormal happiness or sadness. Examples include major depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia and seasonal affective disorder.

*Personality disorders. Conditions in which a person struggles to deal with other people and acts in a manner that is inflexible and not well-suited to coping with the demands and changes of life. Personality disorders begin by early adulthood, remain stable over time and create distress or impairment in a person’s life. Examples include borderline personality disorder (BPD), antisocial personality disorder and avoidant personality disorder (APD).

0Schizophrenia. Chronic mental disorder that makes it difficult to distinguish between real and imagined experiences, think logically or have normal emotional responses to situations.

*Sexual disorders. Conditions that prevent people from having rich and fulfilling sexual relationships. These disorders involve problems related to sexual functioning, desire or performance. Examples include sexual dysfunctions, paraphilias and gender identity disorders.

*Sleep disorders. Conditions that involve include difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, sleeping excessively or abnormal behaviors during sleep. Examples include dyssomnias (e.g., insomnia, narcolepsy), parasomnias (e.g., night terrors, sleepwalking), sleep disorders associated with medical or psychiatric conditions and proposed sleep disorders (sleep problems for which there is insufficient information to establish them as distinct disorders).

*Somatoform disorders. Conditions in which individuals experience symptoms that cannot be attributed to a physical cause. Hypochondriasis is an example of a somatoform disorder.

*Substance abuse disorders. Problems that are associated with the abuse of alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, nonprescription medications, prescription medications and illegal drugs.

Signs and symptoms of mental illness

The signs and symptoms of mental illness vary significantly in nature, duration and severity depending on both the individual and the condition that is present. In some cases, these signs and symptoms are indicators of an obvious problem. For example, patients who have schizophrenia may hear voices in their heads, a clear sign of a lack of mental well-being.

In other cases, symptoms may be more subtle. People who become sad over the unexpected death of a loved one experience normal emotion related to grief. However, sadness that continues for long periods – or that is debilitating – may indicate the mental disorder known as depression.

Symptoms associated with some forms of mental illness include:

*Anxiety and fear
*Changes in sleep patterns
*Difficulty thinking or concentrating
*Fatigue and loss of energy
*Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness
*Generalized pain
*Restlessness and irritability
*Significant change in appetite or weight
*Delusions or hallucinations
*Thoughts of suicide or self-destructive behavior

Treatment options for mental illness

Once a mental illness is diagnosed, it is usually treated with psychotherapy, medication to address the problems in brain chemistry or a combination of both. Just because two conditions share symptoms and clinical features does not necessarily mean that they should be treated in the same way. Instead, treatments should be selected based on the underlying biology that is causing the condition and the specific symptoms of the individual patient.

During psychotherapy, patients are encouraged to talk about their condition and any related issues with a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or clinical social worker. Psychotherapy is based on the theory that patients can improve their emotional well-being and mental health by talking about their concerns or problems with a therapist. The therapist can help them find better ways to cope, solve problems and set realistic goals for improvement. Treatment may take the form of individual therapy, group therapy or a combination of both. It can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years depending on the nature of a patient’s condition.

Common forms of psychotherapy used to treat emotional and mental health disorders include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), psychodynamic psychotherapy and interpersonal therapy (IPT). Patients may also benefit from attending support groups where they discuss their feelings with others who share their mental illness.

In addition, many medications can help alleviate the symptoms of mental illness by restoring the brain’s chemistry to a more normal state. These include anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and central nervous system (CNS) stimulants.

Patients should be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thinking in some patients and all people being treated with them should be monitored closely for unusual changes in behavior.

Additionally, not all medications are suitable for all patients. For instance, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may not be candidates for certain medications (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) because the drugs may adversely affect a developing fetus or nursing infant.

It is also advised that patients always consult their physician before beginning or discontinuing a medication.

Another option called electroconvulsive therapy (ECT, a series of electrical shocks are delivered to the brain to induce seizures) may be used to treat severe depression. Vagus nerve stimulation is a unique technique which recently became available specifically for treatment-resistant depression. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that appears promising as a treatment, particularly for major depression. However, TMS is still experimental and actual clinical use will require much more research.

Prevention of mental illness

Many mental illnesses cannot be prevented. For example, there is little that anyone can do to prevent the onset of cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, the symptoms associated with many mental illnesses can be managed or reduced – if not eliminated – by taking certain steps.

Such steps include trying to remain positive about life circumstances, learning and using problem-solving skills that can help one cope with life’s challenges, taking all medications as prescribed by a physician and discussing concerns and difficulties with friends, family and mental health professionals. Eating right, exercising and getting proper amounts of rest may also help patients to feel more relaxed, which, in turn, may reduce symptoms.

In some cases, these steps can go beyond just reducing symptoms and can actually help prevent a mental illness from developing in the first place. For example, people who have depression after experiencing tragic events may be less likely to develop long-term symptoms if they can seek support from loved ones