Mental illness can begin at any age, from childhood through later adult years, but most cases begin earlier in life. The effects of mental illness can be temporary or long lasting. You also can have more than one mental health disorder at the same time. For example, you may have depression and a substance use disorder.
Most mental illnesses don't have a single cause. Instead they have a variety of causes, called risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop a mental health condition. Sometimes, mental illness develops gradually.
While mental illness can begin at any age, some statistics show that mental illness most often begins by age 14. However, the onset of mental illness can vary greatly depending on the condition. Could you have a mental illness at your current age?
Roughly half of all lifetime mental disorders in most studies start by the mid-teens and three quarters by the mid-20s. Later onsets are mostly secondary conditions. Severe disorders are typically preceded by less severe disorders that are seldom brought to clinical attention.
Research conducted and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found that many mental disorders are caused by a combination of biological, environmental, psychological, and genetic factors.
The exact cause of most mental disorders is not known, but research suggests that a combination of factors, including heredity, biology, psychological trauma, and environmental stress, might be involved.
Often, McNally notes, mental illnesses are likely to have multiple causes, including genetic, biological and environmental factors. Of course, that's true for many chronic diseases, heart disease and diabetes included.
Severe mental illness
While severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia usually develop in your teens or early 20s, they can be affected for the first time in later life. You can be treated with talking therapy or antipsychotic medication in the same way as younger people.
Mental illness can strike anyone at any time in their life. In fact, more than 350 million people across the world – of all ages and from all communities – suffer from depression. But half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The vast majority of mental disorders diagnosed in adulthood show a peak age of onset before 18, and other disorders carry across from childhood/adolescence well into adulthood.
At Stage 1, a person begins to show symptoms of a mental health condition, but is still able to maintain the ability to function at home, work or school—although perhaps not as easily as before they started to show symptoms. Often there is a sense that something is “not right.”
There's no cure for mental illness, but there are lots of effective treatments. People with mental illnesses can recover and live long and healthy lives.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 1 in every 5 Americans is currently living with a mental illness. Of those, the three most common diagnoses are anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available.
Anosognosia, also called "lack of insight," is a symptom of severe mental illness experienced by some that impairs a person's ability to understand and perceive his or her illness. It is the single largest reason why people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder refuse medications or do not seek treatment.
Summary. Peter Pan Syndrome is a popular psychology term to describe people who find it difficult to grow up. They often have challenges managing adult responsibilities and maintaining adult relationships. Having difficulty with adult responsibilities can affect many people.
The most common are anxiety disorders major depression and bipolar disorder.
The main types of treatment include: Psychological therapy: there are many different types of psychotherapy, including supportive therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal therapy, group, couple and family therapy.
A mental disorder shares the same qualities as a mental illness but is used in reference to the Mental Health Act to describe the particular symptoms a person has.
Without treatment, the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering. Untreated mental health conditions can result in unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, and suicide, and poor quality of life.