What is Mental Illness?
Just as people can experience physical illnesses, they can also
experience mental illnesses, too. A mental illness is an illness
which is similar to a physical illness, but instead of affecting
parts of a person's body, mental illnesses affect a person's brain
- the organ that controls a person's feelings, thoughts and
behavior. Mental illnesses, also called mental disorders, do not
discriminate. They can affect people of any background, ethnicity,
socioeconomic group, and age. A physical illness might make it
difficult to walk; a mental illness can make it difficult to learn,
to work, to maintain relationships with people or to cope with
life's daily activities.
Most of us think that mental illness is one of those things that
happen only to other people. Unfortunately, it isn't. Since most
people are uncomfortable talking about mental illness, they have no
idea how common it is. In the United States alone, some 57.7
million, or just over 26%, of people 18 years old or older suffer
from one or another mental illness in any given year.
Just as there are many different kinds of physical illnesses,
there are many different kinds of mental illnesses - more than 200.
Some of the most common adult mental illnesses are depression,
anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder (manic depression) and
schizophrenia, but there are many others.
Children and adolescents can have mental illnesses, too. At
least 1 in 10 young people have a "serious emotional disturbance."
This term is commonly used to describe a child or adolescent who
has a mental health problem or mental illness that severely
disrupts his or her ability to function socially, academically and
emotionally at home, in school, or in the community. Some of the
most common child and adolescent emotional, behavioral and mental
disorders include depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety disorder,
eating disorders, and schizophrenia.
No one knows exactly what causes mental illness. The most common
explanations are genetic (meaning that the mental illness can be
passed down from one generation to the next) and biochemical
(meaning that there's an imbalance in the chemicals in the brain).
Environmental factors such as severe stress and/or trauma can also
affect the brain's functioning. In all likelihood, a combination of
such factors has given rise to the mental illness.
There are no known cures for most mental illnesses, but there
are many treatments. And, as with other medical conditions for
which there are no cures, like diabetes or asthma, with the right
medication and treatment, which may include psychosocial therapies,
medications, or both, most people with a mental illness can live
full and productive lives.
More information about Mental Illnesses in Adults.
More information about Mental Illness in Children and
Adolescents.
Other helpful links