mental illness

noun

variants or mental disorder or less commonly mental disease

: any of a broad range of medical conditions (such as major depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, or panic disorder) that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning and cause marked distress or disability and that are typically associated with a disruption in normal thinking, feeling, mood, behavior, interpersonal interactions, or daily functioning

mentally ill adjective

Examples of mental illness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The project focused on a mostly random three-day stretch in 2022 — April 25, 26 and 27 — to get snapshot of an average day for people with mental illness. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024

Both mental health and drug addiction crises have been roiling the country, and the effects of parental drug use and mental illness can quickly trickle down to their children. —Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

For people living with mental illness, social connectedness is essential and serves as a protective factor that can reduce symptom severity. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 18 Apr. 2024

The Detroit Free Press previously won the McCree award in 2023 for coverage of juvenile detention conditions, wrongful convictions, laws on mental illness and substance abuse and the Oxford High School shooting. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 17 Apr. 2024

In an increasingly pluralistic society, legislators who denigrated ethnic or religious minorities or those with mental illnesses or disabilities found themselves on the outs. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Diedrich was sentenced to serve five years probation and fell back into alcoholism and was diagnosed with mental illness. —Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 7 Apr. 2024

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S Release Date: May 21, 2024 The original Hellblade was a potent mix of melee combat, Norse mythology, and an unflinching dive into mental illness. —PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024

One of the ways to do that, Green said, is to get rid of the stigma associated with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. —Katie Camero, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

mental illness

noun

variants or mental disorder also mental disease

: any of a broad range of medical conditions (such as major depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, or panic disorder) that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning and cause marked distress or disability and that are typically associated with a disruption in normal thinking, feeling, mood, behavior, interpersonal interactions, or daily functioning

Some homeless families are also hindered by substance abuse and mental illness.

—Ellen L. Bassuk, Scientific American

Catatonia is usually an expression of mental disorders like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, but it could also come from other medical problems, such as a brain tumor.

—Forrest Wickman, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

… mental diseases such as schizophrenia and manic depression may either involve more than one gene or may result from a complex mix of genetic predisposition and environmental rotten luck.

—Natalie Angier, The New York Times Book Review

mentally ill adjective

mentally ill patients

Mental health workers … perform a wide variety of therapeutic, supportive, and preventative functions for persons who are mentally ill and developmentally disabled.

—Barbara M. Swanson, Careers in Health Care

Legal Definition

mental illness

noun

mental ill·​ness

1

: mental disease

2

: a mental condition marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, and emotions to seriously impair the normal psychological and often social functioning of the individual

called also mental disorder