What are the causes of mental illness? Although the exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known, it is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.
FACTORS CAUSING MENTAL DISORDER |
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| Biological Factors |
Psychological Factors |
Environmental Factors |
| -Genetics (heredity): Mental illnesses sometimes run in families, suggesting that people who have a family member with a mental illness may be somewhat more likely to develop one themselves. -Infections: Certain infections have been linked to brain damage and the development of mental illness or the worsening of its symptoms. -Brain defects or injury: Defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain have also been linked to some mental illnesses. -Prenatal damage: Some evidence suggests that a disruption of early fetal brain development or trauma that occurs at the time of birth. Substance abuse : Long-term substance abuse, in particular, has been linked to anxiety, depression, and paranoia. -Other factors: Poor nutrition and exposure to toxins, such as lead, may play a role in the development of mental illnesse |
-Severe psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse -An important early loss, such as the loss of a parent -Neglect -Poor ability to relate to others |
-Death or divorce -A dysfunctional family life -Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, or loneliness -Changing jobs or schools -Social or cultural expectations (For example, a society that associates beauty with thinness can be a factor in the development of eating disorders.) -Substance abuse by the person or the person's parents |
