Common Mental Health Conditions

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Understanding Mental Illness

Person feeling anxious or depressed

Mental health conditions are medical conditions that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. They are not personal weaknesses or character flaws. With treatment, most people improve significantly.

No one chooses to have a mental illness. It's like any other health condition - it requires proper care and treatment.

Mental health promotion and prevention

Promotion and prevention efforts aim to improve mental health by addressing individual, social and structural determinants of mental health. Interventions can be designed for individuals, specific groups or whole populations.

Because many determinants lie outside the health sector, effective promotion and prevention programmes require cross-sector collaboration. Education, labour, justice, transport, environment, housing, and welfare sectors all have vital roles. The health sector can contribute by embedding promotion and prevention into its services and by leading or supporting multisectoral coordination.

Suicide prevention is a global priority and part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Key strategies include limiting access to means, promoting responsible media reporting, supporting social and emotional learning for adolescents, and ensuring early intervention. Banning highly hazardous pesticides is a particularly inexpensive and cost–effective intervention for reducing suicide rates.

Symptoms to Watch For

  1. Feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most days
  2. Excessive worry that won't go away
  3. Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
  4. Sleep problems - too much or too little
  5. Changes in appetite or weight
  6. Feeling worthless or guilty
  7. Thoughts of death or suicide

Condition Comparison

Common Mental Health Conditions

Condition

Key Symptoms

Treatment Options

Anxiety

Panic attacks, racing thoughts, avoidance

Therapy, medication, relaxation

Depression

Low mood, fatigue, loss of interest

Therapy, medication, exercise

Bipolar

Manic highs, depressive lows

Mood stabilizers, therapy

OCD

Obsessions, compulsions, rituals

Exposure therapy, medication

PTSD

Flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance

Trauma therapy, medication

Important: Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose a mental health condition. If you have symptoms, please reach out for help.

More information: National Institute of Mental Health

Email questions: mentalhealthinfo@example.com

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