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 UN agency defines traditional medicines as the accumulated knowledge, skills and practices used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness.

From Barron's

District Attorney Hochman added that it is too early to say whether any "mental illness" played a role in the crime, and speculated that it could come up at trial.

From BBC

But the narrative also shines a crucial spotlight on L.A.’s Asian American community and its sometimes insular approach to handling emotional trauma, particularly mental illness.

From Los Angeles Times

"I really worry about this rhetoric that people with mental illness are somehow making it up or in some way need pushing to get better," she said.

From BBC

Others including OpenAI say the jury is out on how much of a causal role AI plays and whether those affected would have suffered mental illness anyway.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• insanity
• mental disorder