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A mental disorder, also called a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitting, or occur as a single episode. Many disorders have been described, with signs and symptoms that vary widely between specific disorders. Such disorders may be diagnosed by a mental health professional.
The causes of mental disorders are often unclear. Theories may incorporate findings from a range of fields. Mental disorders are usually defined by a combination of how a person behaves, feels, perceives, or thinks. This may be associated with particular regions or functions of the brain, often in a social context. A mental disorder is one aspect of mental health. Cultural and religious beliefs, as well as social norms, should be taken into account when making a diagnosis.Services are based in psychiatric hospitals or in the community, and assessments are carried out by mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers, using various methods such as psychometric tests but often relying on observation and questioning. Treatments are provided by various mental health professionals. Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options. Other treatments include lifestyle changes, social interventions, peer support, and self-help. In a minority of cases, there might be involuntary detention or treatment. Prevention programs have been shown to reduce depression.Common mental disorders include depression, which affects about 300 million, bipolar disorder, which affects about 60 million, dementia, which affects about 50 million, and schizophrenia and other psychoses, which affects about 23 million people globally. Stigma and discrimination can add to the suffering and disability associated with mental disorders, leading to various social movements attempting to increase understanding and challenge social exclusion.

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  1. S

    VIC mental health act history

    in 2021, i was subjected to mental health act and put in mental ward for 7 days. The reason was my ex is a cia agent who was torturing me by using domestic voilence to create mk ultra alter in me.Along with the abuse ,i was continously subjected to gang stalking and sleep torture for last 12...
  2. T

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  3. P

    NSW Lie about husband mental health

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  4. W

    VIC Claiming compensation due to psychological harm under mental health care.

    Hello everyone, I was wondering whether or not compensation could be made here. I was under the care of a mental health professional a year ago now, and she did not undertake the appropriate training due to the negligence of the organisation she works for, which consequently lead to me...
  5. W

    VIC Misleading and Deceptive Conduct? - Mental health SIL rent

    Hey, I live in a facility called a SIL (Supported Independent Living) for mental health reasons, run by a mental health service. When I moved in, I was told that rent was %30 of my gross income, stated as fact. I never got a copy of what I had signed until recently when I asked, because I had...
  6. kingofmeereen

    QLD Does an employer owe a duty of care that their employee is mentally healthy?

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  7. A

    NSW Ex partner not letting me see my son

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