People can suffer from different types of mental illnesses or disorders, and they can often occur at the same time. Mental illness can occur over a short period of time or be episodic. This means that mental illness comes and goes with discrete beginnings and endings. Mental illness can also be persistent or long-lasting. Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It influences the way we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we manage stress, interact with others and make healthy choices.1 Mental health is important at all stages of life, from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Mental health and physical health are equally important components of overall health. For example, depression increases the risk of many types of physical health problems, especially long-term conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Similarly, the presence of a chronic illness can increase the risk of mental illness.2 Although the terms are often used interchangeably, poor mental health and mental illness are not the same thing. A person may have poor mental health and not be diagnosed with a mental illness. Similarly, a person diagnosed with a mental illness may experience periods of physical, mental and social well-being. There are more than 200 types of mental illness.
Some of the main types of mental illnesses and disorders are listed here. Mental illness is one of the most common health problems in the United States. There is no single cause of mental illness. A number of factors can contribute to the risk of mental illness, such as: Yes, it`s important to remember that a person`s mental health can change over time, depending on many factors. If the demands placed on a person exceed their resources and coping skills, their mental health could be affected. For example, if someone works long hours, cares for a parent, or struggles economically, they may have poor mental health.