mental illness

American  

noun

1. any of the various forms of psychosis or severe neurosis.

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mental illness British  

noun

1. any of various disorders in which a person's thoughts, emotions, or behaviour are so abnormal as to cause suffering to himself, herself, or other people

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mental illness Scientific  

/ mĕn′tl /

1. Any of various psychiatric disorders or diseases, usually characterized by impairment of thought, mood, or behavior.

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Etymology

Origin of mental illness

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

The Metropolitan State Hospital opened in Norwalk in 1916, a self-contained facility complete with its own farm that treated people with mental illness.

From Los Angeles Times

"My uncle has a mental illness. The poor man had convinced himself he was dead," they told the BBC.

From BBC

A psychiatrist and an attorney in San Diego say an existing statute could address severe mental illness and addiction.

From Los Angeles Times

Burke told the court that social-media addiction isn’t listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, typically used by clinicians to diagnose mental illness.

From The Wall Street Journal

A parliamentary committee is set to start work next month on whether assisted dying should be extended to those suffering exclusively from mental illness.

From Barron's

Related Words

• insanity
• mental disorder