MENTAL DISORDER - From Wikipedia

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"Emotional disabilities" redirects here. For other uses, see Emotional disability.

Mental disorder
Classification and external resources
Eight women representing prominent mental diagnoses in the 19th century. (Armand Gautier)
ICD-10	F99
MeSH	D001523

A mental disorder or psychiatric disorder is a mental or behavioral pattern or anomaly that causes distress or disability, and which is not developmentally or socially normative. Mental disorders are generally defined by a combination of how a person feels, acts,thinks or perceives. This may be associated with particular regions or functions of the brain or rest of the nervous system, often in asocial context. The recognition and understanding of mental health conditions have changed over time and across cultures and there are still variations in definition, assessment and classification, although standard guideline criteria are widely used. In many cases, there appears to be a continuum between mental health and mental illness, making diagnosis complex.^[1] According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over a third of people in most countries report problems at some time in their life which meet criteria for diagnosis of one or more of the common types of mental disorder.^[2]

The causes of mental disorders are varied and in some cases unclear, and theories may incorporate findings from a range of fields.Services are based in psychiatric hospitals or in the community, and assessments are carried out by psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and clinical social workers, using various methods but often relying on observation and questioning. Clinical treatments are provided by various mental health professionals. Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options, as aresocial interventions, peer support and self-help. In a minority of cases there might be involuntary detention or involuntary treatment, where legislation allows. Stigma and discrimination can add to the suffering and disability associated with mental disorders (or with being diagnosed or judged as having a mental disorder), leading to various social movements attempting to increase understanding and challenge social exclusion. Prevention is now appearing in some mental health strategies.