Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnxiety DisordersBipolar and Related DisordersDepressive DisordersDissociative DisordersFeeding and Eating DisordersGender DysphoriaNeurocognitive DisordersNeurodevelopmental DisordersObsessive-Compulsive and Related DisordersPersonality DisordersSchizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic DisordersSleep-Wake DisordersSubstance-Related and Addictive DisordersTrauma- and Stressor-Related DisordersDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anxiety Disorders
Bipolar and Related Disorders
Depressive Disorders
Dissociative Disorders
Feeding and Eating Disorders
Gender Dysphoria
Neurocognitive Disorders
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
Personality Disorders
Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
Sleep-Wake Disorders
Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders
Diagnosis
Treatment
A mental illness is a health condition involving changes in thinking, emotion, or behavior that leads todistressor problems functioning in social, work, or family activities.
Mental illness is quite common: In 2021, more than one in five adults in the U.S.—nearly 58 million people—experienced some form of mental illness. About one in 20 U.S. adults experienced serious (severe) mental illness.Some may have more than one mental illness, and the symptoms may overlap.
There are many different types of mental illness—sometimes referred to as mental disorders—with different causes, symptoms, and treatments. Some may involve a single episode, while others can relapse or persist.
The following is a list of the most common types of mental illnesses—such as anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and sleep disorders—with examples of conditions for each category. The article will also discuss how mental illness is diagnosed, as well as some common treatment options.
Theresa Chiechi / Verywell
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States, affecting 19.1% of the population.People with anxiety disorders experience excessive fear, anxiety, and related behavioral disturbances. Anxiety symptoms can worsen over time, interfering with people’s ability to function in their daily lives. People with anxiety may also attempt to avoid situations or triggers that worsen symptoms.
Anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions, each having unique symptoms. Types of anxiety disorder include:
Bipolar disorder causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to think clearly. People with this disorder experience extremely high and low moods, known as mania and depression. They may have distinct manic or depressed states, or they may have long periods without symptoms.
A person with bipolar disorder can also experience mixed manic and depressive symptoms. Bipolar disorder affects 2.8% of the U.S. population, and 83% of cases are classified as severe.
Bipolar disorders can be categorized into three types, including:
Those with depression lose interest or pleasure in activities and experience excessive fatigue, appetite changes, sleep disturbances, indecision, and poor concentration. Suicidal thinking or behavior can also occur.
There are many types of depressive disorders, including:
What Are Mood Disorders?
Dissociation refers to a disconnection between a person’s thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of who they are. Symptoms of dissociative disorders can potentially affect every area of mental functioning. Dissociative disorders involve disruptions in memory, identity, emotion, perception, behavior, and sense of self.
Examples of dissociative symptoms include the experience of detachment or feeling outside of your body, as well as loss of memory or amnesia. Dissociative disorders are frequently associated with previous experiences of trauma. It is believed that dissociation helps a person tolerate what might otherwise be too difficult to bear.
There are three types of dissociative disorders:
People with feeding and eating disorders experience severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. They may become so preoccupied with food and weight issues that they find it harder and harder to focus on other aspects of their life.
Over time, these behaviors can significantly impair physical health and psychosocial functioning. Eating disorders affect several million people at any given time, most often women between the ages of 12 and 35.
There are three main types of eating disorders:
Types of Eating Disorders
Gender dysphoriarefers to psychological distress that results from a difference between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’sgender identity. It often begins in childhood, but some people may not experience it until after puberty or much later.
Transgender people are individuals whose sex assigned at birth does not match their gender identity. Some transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and they may or may not change the way they dress or look to align with their felt gender.
How Gender Dysphoria Is Diagnosed
Neurocognitive disorders lead to a decline in cognitive function from a previously obtained level. People with this condition may experience noticeable memory loss, difficulty communicating, significant problems handling daily tasks, confusion, and personality changes.
Types of neurocognitive disorders include:
Neurodevelopmental disorders have an onset in the developmental period, with the development of the central nervous system disturbed. This can produce impairments in personal, social, and academic functioning.
Types of neurodevelopmental disorders include:
What is High-Functioning Autism and How Is It Diagnosed?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas, or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions). These repetitive behaviors can significantly interfere with a person’s daily activities and social interactions. Not performing the behaviors commonly causes great distress.
People with OCD have difficulty disengaging from the obsessive thoughts or stopping the compulsive actions. This disorder is estimated to affect 2% to 3% of U.S. adults.
Disorders related to OCD include:
People with personality disorders may have trouble dealing with everyday stressors and problems, and they often have difficult relationships with other people.
There are 10 types of personality disorders. Here’s what they are—and what they involve:
People with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders lose touch with reality and experience a range of symptoms that may include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and speech, and disorganized or abnormal behavior. Schizophrenia affects less than 1% of the U.S. population.
Other psychotic disorders include:
Sleep-wake disorders, also known as sleep disorders, involve problems with the quality, timing, and amount of sleep, which result in daytime distress and impairment in functioning.They often occur along with medical conditions or other mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, or cognitive disorders.
There are several types of sleep-wake disorders:
How Getting Sunlight in the Morning Can Help You Sleep Better
This category includes substance use disorders (often referred to as substance abuse). They occur when a person continues the use of alcohol or another drug or substance despite significant substance-related problems.
People with substance abuse disorders have an intense focus on using certain substances to the point where their ability to function in day-to-day life may become impaired.
Types of trauma-related disorders include:
Mental Illness and Suicide
There are many treatment options for mental illnesses. A prompt diagnosis can lead to significant improvements in your quality of life.
It is common for people to have more than one mental illness at a time. By some estimates, about half of people with one mental illness have a comorbid (co-occurring) substance use disorder present at the same time or sequentially.As such, the likelihood of a mental health and substance use disorder dual diagnosis is high. This may be due to common risk factors and the fact that having one condition predisposes a person to the other.
Other common comorbidity examples include:
Due to the wide variety of mental illnesses, many different health professionals may be involved in the treatment process, including:
Treatment may include one or more of the above professionals and one or more methods (e.g. psychotherapy combined with medication). Disorders that resist initial treatment may require further interventions.
Psychotherapy
Common types of psychotherapy include:
Medication
Medications may be used to reduce symptoms and restore functioning. They are often used in conjunction with psychotherapy.
Four major types of psychotropic drugs include:
Procedures
Neurotherapeutic procedures like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation are used in cases of treatment-resistant and severe depression.
During ECT, electrodes are placed on the head to deliver a small amount of electrical stimulation to the brain to induce brief seizures while the patient is under anesthesia. For transcranial magnetic stimulation, magnets are used to stimulate areas of the brain associated with mood regulation.
Ketamine infusion or nasal spray therapy offers another option for people with treatment-resistant major depression. It may work rapidly and help reduce suicide ideation.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle changes help promote overall well-being. You may benefit from:
If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, dial988to contact the988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelineand connect with a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.
Summary
Mental illness refers to a broad range of conditions that affect thinking, emotions, and behavior. They fall into many categories, such as anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, gender dysphoria, neurodevelopmental disorders, and sleep disorders. Criteria from the DSM-5 are typically used to diagnose mental illnesses.
Treatments are available to relieve symptoms and manage emotions, thinking, and behavior. Common options include psychotherapy (such as CBT or DBT), medications (such as antidepressants oranxiolytics), and neurotherapeutic procedures (such as ECT or transcranial magnetic stimulation). You may also benefit from lifestyle adjustments.
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