ABSTRACT
ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS Mental illnesses are diseases that cause disturbances in one’s thinking, perception, and behavior. These disturbances can be mild, having minimal impact on one’s functioning, or more severe, impairing the person’s ability to think and function in a normal manner and environment. The term “mental illness” encompasses numerous psychiatric disorders that can strike anyone regardless of age, economic status, race, creed, or color. Mental illnesses affect 22.1% of Americans ages 18 and older. This averages 1 in 5 American adults — approximately 54 million — who are diagnosed with a mental disorder in a given year. Four of the ten leading causes of disability in the United States and other developed countries are mental disorders — major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (Murray & Lopez, 1996; National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2001).
