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Summary
Mental disorders include a wide range of problems, including
- Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia
There are many causes of mental disorders. Your genes and family history may play a role. Your life experiences, such as stress or a history of abuse, may also matter. Biological factors can also be part of the cause. A traumatic brain injury can lead to a mental disorder. A mother’s exposure to viruses or toxic chemicals while pregnant may play a part. Other factors may increase your risk, such as use of illegal drugs or having a serious medical condition like cancer.
Medications and counseling can help many mental disorders.
Latest News
- No Link Between Anti-Smoking Drugs, Mental Health Issues: Study (04/22/2016, HealthDay)
- Troubled Kids’ Psychiatric Care Often Delayed by Insurance Rules (03/25/2016, HealthDay)
- Could Germ from Cat Poop Trigger Rage Disorder in People? (03/23/2016, HealthDay)
Diagnosis and Tests
- Mental Health: What’s Normal, What’s Not? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Neuroimaging and Mental Illness: A Window Into the Brain (National Institute of Mental Health)
Treatments and Therapies
- Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) (NAMI) – PDF
- Brain Stimulation Therapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
- How to Choose a Psychologist (American Psychological Association)
- Meditation: An Introduction (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Mental Health Medications (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Mental Health Providers: Credentials, Services Offered and What to Expect (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Psychotherapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Therapy and Counseling (American Academy of Family Physicians)Available in Spanish
- What Is Psychiatry? (American Psychiatric Association)
Living With
- Action Planning for Prevention and Recovery: A Self-Help Guide (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – PDF
- Building Self-Esteem: A Self-Help Guide (Center for Mental Health Services) – PDF
- Dealing with the Effects of Trauma: A Self-Help Guide (Center for Mental Health Services) – PDF
- Making and Keeping Friends: A Self-Help Guide (Center for Mental Health Services) – PDF
- Mental Illness and the Family: Recognizing the Warning Signs & How to Cope (Mental Health America)
- Speaking Out for Yourself: A Self-Help Guide (Center for Mental Health Services) – PDF
- What Individuals in Recovery Need to Know About Wellness (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – PDF
Related Issues
- Mental Health: Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Illness (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Psychiatric Advance Directives: Getting Started (National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives)
- Psychogenic Movement (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) – Short Summary
- Rural Mental Health (Rural Health Information Hub)
- Take Action against Hepatitis C (for People in Recovery from Mental Illness or Addiction) (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – PDF
- Tardive Dyskinesia (NAMI)
Specifics
- Adjustment Disorders (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Conversion Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Dissociative Disorders (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Factitious Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Hypochondria (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Kleptomania (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome (Nemours Foundation)
- Normal Stress or Adjustment Disorder? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Somatoform Disorders (American Academy of Family Physicians)Available in Spanish
Genetics
- Genetics Home Reference: Perry syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Health Check Tools
- Mental Health Screening Center (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance)
Statistics and Research
- Age- and Gender-Based Populations (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Burden of Mental Illness (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- FastStats: Mental Health (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Mental Illness Statistics (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Other Specific Populations (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Substance Use and Mental Health Estimates from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health-Overview of Findings (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – PDF
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Mental Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
- Clinical Research Trials and You: Questions and Answers (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Clinical Trials – Participants (National Institute of Mental Health)Available in Spanish
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- Brain Basics (National Institute of Mental Health)
Find an Expert
- American Psychiatric Association
- APA District Branch / State Association Directory (American Psychiatric Association)
- Find Your Local NAMI (NAMI)
- Help for Mental Illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Mental Health Treatment Program Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- NAMI
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association)
- State by State Info (Psychiatric Advance Directives) (National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Children
- MedlinePlus: Child Mental Health (National Library of Medicine)Available in Spanish
Teenagers
- MedlinePlus: Teen Mental Health (National Library of Medicine)Available in Spanish
Men
- Mental Health for Men (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health)Available in Spanish
Women
- Women and Mental Health (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Women’s Mental Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – PDF
Seniors
- Older Adults and Mental Health (National Institute of Mental Health)
Patient Handouts
- Adjustment disorder Available in Spanish
- Conversion disorder Available in Spanish
- Illness anxiety disorder Available in Spanish
- Somatic symptom disorder Available in Spanish