Mental illness encompasses a range of disorders, with various biological, psychological, and environmental factors contributing to its etiology. Chemical imbalances, genetics, brain damage, and psychological trauma are among the factors that may lead to mental illness. Environmental factors such as stress, poverty, and social rejection can also play a role. Much remains to be discovered about the causes of mental illness.
Mental illness as a term refers to a broad spectrum of disorders, including anxiety disorders, addiction disorders, eating disorders, gender or sexual disorders, and somatoform disorders. Despite the amount of research done on mental illness, much remains to be discovered. Therefore, the etiology of mental illness is not fully understood. Based on the information uncovered so far, however, researchers suspect that mental illness is caused by various factors.
Chemical imbalance is an example of a biological factor involved in the etiology of mental illness. In particular, when there is an imbalance in brain neurotransmitters, nerve cells cannot communicate properly, brain messages are not processed enough, and mental illness can occur. Substance abuse that occurs over a long period of time can alter brain chemistry and cause mental illness. Inadequate nutrition, lack of vitamin and mineral absorption, or exposure to environmental toxins such as lead could result in changes in brain chemistry that can predispose you to mental illness.
Genetics is another biological factor in the etiology of mental illness. Having a genetic predisposition does not necessarily mean that a person will have a mental illness. Whether the person ultimately has a mental illness depends on the presence of exacerbating factors such as abuse, stress or the presence of traumatic events.
Brain damage is another factor that has a biological impact and is involved in the etiology of mental illness. Brain injury can occur when a person is older or even during the period of gestation or birth. Other biological factors in mental illness include pre-existing health conditions. For example, the health condition called pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder (PANDA), which is caused by an infection with strep bacteria, is reportedly a possible cause of mental illness in children.
Psychological factors involved in the etiology of mental illness include severe or traumatic childhood experiences. For example, physical, sexual or emotional abuse could lead to mental illness. Abandonment or loss of a parent could also be a factor in mental illness.
Environmental factors involved in mental illness can include various experiences which, if they occur excessively, can be problematic. The presence of excessive stress alters brain chemistry and this can predispose a person to experience mental illness. Experiences such as losing loved ones and coping with poverty and feelings such as anxiety and anger could predispose you to mental illness. Additionally, changing schools or jobs, social rejection, or a dysfunctional family climate are all experiences that can be factors in mental illness if the experience is prolonged or extreme enough.
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