In general, mental health conditions may be grouped into one of three categories:
- Mental illnesses that affect adults
- Serious emotional disturbances that affect children
- Intellectual/developmental disabilities affecting adults and children
What is Mental Illness
The Michigan Mental Health Code defines mental illness as "a substantial disorder of thought or mood that significantly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life."
Major types of mental illness: ADHD. Anxiety. Bereavement. Bipolar Disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder. Conduct Disorder. Depression. Eating Disorders. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Panic Disorder. Phobias. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Reactive Disorder. Schizophrenia. Self-Injury. Substance Use Disorder.
What is Serious Emotional Disturbance
A serious emotional disturbance means a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that severely disrupts a child's or adolescent's ability to function socially, academically, and emotionally, at home, in school, or in the community, and has been apparent for more than a six month period.
What is Intellectual/Developmental Disability
Intellectual/developmental disabilities are a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. People with intellectual/developmental disabilities have problems with major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living. Intellectual/developmental disabilities begin anytime during development up to 22 years of age and usually last throughout a person's lifetime.