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How do I recognise if someone may have a mental illness?

While symptoms vary, and each person with mental illness is different, all people with mental illness will experience some of the thought, feeling or behaviour characteristics below.
While a single symptom or isolated event is not necessarily a sign of mental illness, multiple or severe symptoms may indicate a need for a medical evaluation. Here is a list of possible symptoms.

Changes in thinking or perceiving

Hallucinations or delusions (seeing or hearing things that are not really there)
Excessive fears or suspiciousness (paranoia)
Inability to concentrate
Confused thinking

Changes in mood

Sadness coming out of nowhere; unrelated to events or circumstances
Extreme excitement or euphoria
Pessimism, perceiving the world as grey and lifeless
Expressions of hopelessness
Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities
Thinking or talking about suicide

Changes in behaviour

Sitting and doing nothing
Friendlessness; abnormal self-involvement
Dropping out of activities; decline in academic or athletic performance
Hostility, from one formerly pleasant and friendly
Indifference, even in highly important situations
Inability to express joy
Inappropriate laughter
Inability to concentrate or cope with minor problems
Irrational statements
Peculiar use of words or language structure
Excessive fears or suspiciousness
Drug or alcohol abuse
Forgetfulness and loss of valuable possessions
Attempts to escape through geographic change; frequent moves or hitchhiking trips
Bizarre behaviour (strange posturing)
Unusual sensitivity to noises, light, clothing

Physical Changes

Hyperactivity or inactivity or alternations of these
Deterioration in hygiene or personal care
Unexplained weight gain or loss
Sleeping too much or being unable to sleep

Often symptoms of mental illness are cyclic, varying in severity from time to time. The duration of an episode also varies; some people are affected for a few weeks or months, while for others, the illness may last many years or for a lifetime.

There is no reliable way to predict what the course of the illness may be. Symptoms may change from year to year. Also one person’s symptoms may be very different from those of another, although the diagnosis may be the same. In some cases of apparent mental illness, other diseases such as hypothyroidism, multiple sclerosis, or a brain tumour are found to be the cause. A THOROUGH PHYSICAL EXAMINATION SHOULD BE THE FIRST STEP WHEN MENTAL ILLNESS IS SUSPECTED.

Please Note: This guide is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be used as a diagnostic tool.

It is very important that you seek a professional evaluation if you have concerns about yourself or a loved one.

Used with permission from Mental Health Association Maryland – http://www.mhamd.org.html

Last Updated: 23 February 2006
Last Reviewed: 23 February 2006