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.

Start Here
Mental Illness (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Warning Signs of Mental Illnesses (American Psychiatric Association) - PDF

Latest News
Patients Often Reject Drug-Only Psychiatric Treatment (03/06/2017, HealthDay)
Study Links Psychiatric Disorders to Stroke Risk (02/23/2017, HealthDay)
Many with Mental Illness Miss Out on HIV Tests (01/19/2017, HealthDay)
More News on Mental Disorders

Diagnosis and Tests

Mental Health: What's Normal, What's Not? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Treatments and Therapies

Brain Stimulation Therapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
How to Choose a Psychologist (American Psychological Association)
Meditation (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) Also 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 Also in Spanish

Related Issues
Functional Movement Disorder (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
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)
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
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)
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also 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) Also
in Spanish
Clinical Trials - Participants (National Institute of Mental Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from

MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Mental health disorders -- see more articles

Reference Desk
Brain Basics (National Institute of Mental Health)

Find an Expert
American Psychiatric Association
APA District Branch / State Association Directory (American Psychiatric Association)
Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration)
Find Your Local NAMI (NAMI)
Help for Mental Illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health)
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
Child Mental Health: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
Teen Mental Health: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Men
Mental Health for Men (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also 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 (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Conversion disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Illness anxiety disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Somatic symptom disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish