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Mental Illness

Provides print and electronic resources on the topic of mental illness.

About Mental Illness/Disorders

Man and woman speaking; paranoid schizophrenic.The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which was updated in 2013 and is the standard classification and diagnostic resource used in American psychiatry, includes twenty specific categories of mental disorders. Examples include neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders, depressive disorders such as major depressive disorder,anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD), and trauma- and stressor-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), developed and published by the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO), provides its own definitions and classifications, which are commonly used by mental health professionals throughout the world. (Opposing Viewpoints)

Narrow the Topic

  • What causes mental illness?
  • What are the symptoms of mental illness?
  • Analyze one category of mental disorders prevalent among adults (anxiety disorders, bipolar and related disorders, depressive disorders, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, or substance related and addictive disorders). 
  • Analyze the treatments for a specific mental disorder (ex. schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, or depression).
  • How can society reduce stigma associated with mental illness?
  • What is the connection between mental illness and chronic homelessness?
  • Compare the use of pharmaceuticals versus marijuana for the treatment of some types of mental illness?