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The term "mental illness" refers to a wide range of difficulties that may include problems coping with feelings, relationships and everyday activities and distorted thinking. A formal diagnosis by a medical practitioner, psychiatrist or psychologist is necessary to find out the specific mental illness or psychiatric disorder that a young person is experiencing.
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The term "mental illness" refers to a wide range of difficulties that may include problems coping with feelings, relationships and everyday activities and distorted thinking. |
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Most people will experience some mental health problem at some stage in their life. This may be due to common stressors or a significant event. |
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Young people aged between 18-24 years of age are most commonly diagnosed with substance use disorders (particularly males) and anxiety and depression (particularly females).¹ |
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When someone talks about having 'mental health problems' in a general way, this may mean that no formal psychiatric diagnosis has been made yet or that no specific diagnosis has been arrived at. It may be that the person is experiencing some mental health symptoms or difficulties, for example, some anxiety, depression, erratic or unpredictable behaviour. When no diagnosis is suitable, problems may be less severe and for briefer periods. Or the person may have a 'personality disorder' and limited treatment is available.
Most people will experience some mental health problem at some stage in their life. This may be due to common stressors like relationship breakdown, job loss, post-natal depression, having a child with a disability or other significant changes. The mental health symptoms may vary in degree, duration and in how much they affect everyday functioning.
It is important to mention that intellectual disability is different to mental or psychiatric illnesses. An intellectual disability involves difficulties with a person's ability to comprehend and learn. An intellectual disability may be present from birth or it may arise through damage to the brain. A person may have an intellectual disability and psychiatric disability or mental health difficulties. This is referred to as a 'dual-disability'.
Some mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (previously called manic-depressive disorder), may involve a person experiencing psychosis. When someone is psychotic, they may have any of the following symptoms:
- trouble understanding things
- disturbed thinking, often with paranoid ideas
- seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren't actually there
There are other symptoms as well and the person may not be aware that they are having difficulties.
Other mental illnesses experienced by young people include eating disorders such as: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, anxiety and depression and a small percentage of young people are diagnosed with personality disorders.
Young people aged between 18-24 years of age are most commonly diagnosed with substance use disorders (particularly males) and anxiety and depression (particularly females).²
See 'Other Useful Links' for more information on specific mental health issues.
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