The definition of "mental disorders" or "mental illness" is a subject of dispute. Are mental disorders physical or psychological? Are they best treated medically, psychologically or even spiritually?
Despite the ongoing debates on mental health, mental disorders are generally recognized as real and requiring treatment. This may seem obvious, but up until the last century or so, most mental disorders were widely misunderstood by most of humanity and resulted in such horrors as witch hunts, imprisonment, exorcism and human sacrifice. A lot of progress has been made in this area, but it is still the case that the mentally ill are often misunderstood, mistreated and abused.
The following definition from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy makes a good attempt at capsulizing widely agreed-upon elements of mental illness:
While there is debate over how to define mental illness, it is generally accepted that mental illnesses are real and involve disturbances of thought, experience, and emotion serious enough to cause functional impairment in people, making it more difficult for them to sustain interpersonal relationships and carry on their jobs, and sometimes leading to self-destructive behavior and even suicide. The most serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizoaffective disorder are often chronic and can cause serious disability.
This following list comprises some of the best-known mental disorders and categories of mental disorders as described in the DSM-IV. Click on the links to learn more.
Click below to find more related articles on mental disorders.
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