Mental health issues span many different areas, from mental illness to learning disorders, to personality structure. Although it may be easy to identify things such as depression or schizophrenia as topics that fall under the broad label of "mental problems," other areas such as autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or eating disorders, also fall under this category. The American Psychiatric Association divides diagnostic criteria into sixteen different categories. To name a few, these include disorders usually first diagnosed in childhood, dementia-type disorders, substance-related disorders, psychotic disorders, eating and sleeping disorders, dissociative disorders, sexual disorders, and mood disorders. Some of these groups are fairly specific and include only a few diagnoses. Therefore, different kinds of mental problems are discussed here as those that fall into four broad groups: developmental disorders, learning problems, mental illness problems and personality disorders.
Developmental Disorders
Developmental disorders are typically first diagnosed in childhood. However, it is possible for an adult to receive a diagnosis in this category, particularly if he was undiagnosed as a child. Developmental disorders refer to problems with the normal cognitive and behavioral development that should occur in children. For example, mental retardation is defined by a below average intellectual ability evident before age 18. It is characterized by an IQ of 70 or below and difficulty with daily living skills. Motor skills disorder is defined by motor coordination that is substantially lower than average given the child's age and level of intelligence. Feeding disorders refer to significant disturbance in feeding patterns and preferences. Pervasive developmental disorders include diagnoses like autism or Asperger's disorder in which the child does not display a normal level of interest in relating to others.
Learning, Attention and Communication Disorders
Disorders in this category are also usually diagnosed in childhood but again can be diagnosed in adults who had the symptoms before age 18 but remained undiagnosed. The American Psychiatric Association specifies diagnostic codes for reading disorder, mathematics disorder and disorder of written expression. Each of these is defined by achievement that falls substantially lower than ability. In other words, after taking IQ into account, a person with reading, math or writing ability that is at a level five years younger than his chronological age likely meets the criteria for a learning disorder. Other problems that fall into this category have to do with attention, such as ADHD or impulse control problems, and communication problems. This last area includes problems like stuttering, difficulty with pronunciation and difficulty with verbal expression.
Mental Illness: Mood, Anxiety and Psychosis
The problems in this category are what most people think of when they think of mental illnesses. Included are things such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Other problems that could fall under this category are eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, and sleeping disorders like insomnia. According to an article in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical disorders, published in 2004, anxiety underlies many symptoms of insomnia and treatment of anxiety can decrease insomnia. Lastly, substance abuse often goes hand in hand with the problems in this category. Therefore, when substance is involved, specific diagnosis depends on the presentation of the symptoms and the relationship between the mental problem and the use of the substance.
Personality Disorders
Personality disorders are defined by behavior and interpersonal tendencies rather than by symptoms. As a group, personality disorders refer to structural abnormalities in the way an individual perceives her world and the motivations of others. These types of disorders are thought to arise from trauma occurring before age five when the personality structure and psychological development of the child is most vulnerable. Although personality disorders are not usually diagnosed until adulthood, they reflect a pervasive and structural disorganization in certain areas but not in others. The most common diagnoses in this area include antisocial personality, borderline personality, narcissistic personality, schizoid or schizotypal personality, dependent personality, avoidant personality, paranoid personality and histrionic personality.
References
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision"; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
- National Institute of Mental Health: The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program
- The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences: Acupuncture Increases Nocturnal Melatonin Secretion and Reduces Insomnia and Anxiety: A Preliminary Report
