mental illnesses
Psychiatric health conditions
Mental illnesses are conditions affecting thinking, mood, or behavior that cause distress or impair daily functioning.
The term covers a wide range: depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and many others.
Mental illnesses are more common than most people realize.
The plural emphasizes that these are distinct conditions rather than a single phenomenon—someone might have one or several.
Compare with the uncountable *mental illness*, which refers to the general category.
Professional guidance for problems
- psychotherapyTreatment through guided conversation
- cognitive behavioral therapyTreatment restructuring harmful thought patterns
- group therapyCommunal psychological treatment
- talk therapyPsychological treatment via conversation
psychodynamic · exposure therapy · EMDR · art therapy · music therapy · trauma-informed · therapist · psychologist
Therapeutic substance for illness
- psychopharmacologyStudy of drug-brain interactions
- antidepressantsMedications treating clinical despair
- anxiolyticsDrugs reducing pathological worry
- antipsychoticsDrugs treating severe mental disorders
mood stabilizers · SSRIs · hospitalization · electroconvulsive therapy · psychiatrist · inpatient · outpatient · diagnosis
Sharing another's emotions
- understandingMental comprehension of something
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- peer supportAid from similar others
- acceptanceConsent to receive
validation · listening · patience · nonjudgmental · caregiving · community · family involvement · accommodations
Unjust differential treatment
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- stereotypingOversimplified group-based judgments
- shamePainful awareness of failure
taboo · ignorance · social exclusion · ostracism · misunderstanding · alienation · isolation · marginalization
Capacity to recover quickly
- healingRestoration of health
- remissionTemporary disease absence
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- improvementPositive change in quality
wellness · coping · self-care · empowerment · support groups · progress · stabilization · relapse prevention
Pleading for a cause
- educationSystematic development of mind
- campaignsOrganized efforts toward goals
- outreachProactive community assistance
- preventionStopping something before occurring
public health · destigmatization · dialogue · screening · early intervention · crisis hotlines · disclosure · self-identification
counseling
Professional guidance for problems
- psychotherapyTreatment through guided conversation
- cognitive behavioral therapyTreatment restructuring harmful thought patterns
- group therapyCommunal psychological treatment
talk therapy · psychodynamic · exposure therapy · EMDR · art therapy · music therapy · trauma-informed · therapist · psychologist · session
medication
Therapeutic substance for illness
- psychopharmacologyStudy of drug-brain interactions
- antidepressantsMedications treating clinical despair
- anxiolyticsDrugs reducing pathological worry
antipsychotics · mood stabilizers · SSRIs · hospitalization · electroconvulsive therapy · psychiatrist · inpatient · outpatient · diagnosis · assessment
empathy
Sharing another's emotions
- understandingMental comprehension of something
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- peer supportAid from similar others
acceptance · validation · listening · patience · nonjudgmental · caregiving · community · family involvement · accommodations · safe space
discrimination
Unjust differential treatment
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- stereotypingOversimplified group-based judgments
shame · taboo · ignorance · social exclusion · ostracism · misunderstanding · alienation · isolation · marginalization · myths
resilience
Capacity to recover quickly
- healingRestoration of health
- remissionTemporary disease absence
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
improvement · wellness · coping · self-care · empowerment · support groups · progress · stabilization · relapse prevention · maintenance
advocacy
Pleading for a cause
- educationSystematic development of mind
- campaignsOrganized efforts toward goals
- outreachProactive community assistance
prevention · public health · destigmatization · dialogue · screening · early intervention · crisis hotlines · disclosure · self-identification · lived experience
mental illnessesmental health
Emotional and cognitive well-being
psychological well-being · mental wellness · emotional health · psychological health · sanity
illness, mental, dementia, mentality, mentally, demented, illnesses, mental illness, dementias