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

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

But the barrister asked the chairwoman of the inquiry to consider whether it is realistic that Calocane would have been prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned at that time while he was suffering with mental illness.

From BBC

The Carradine family said they wanted to announce his cause of death to raise awareness of "the stigma that attaches to mental illness".

From BBC

Authorities said the victim met Pysher on a Discord server related to individuals suffering from mental illness and the two spoke for about three months.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• insanity
• mental disorder