Psychiatric Disorders
Overview
Psychiatric disorders, also known as mental disorders, encompass a wide range of health conditions that affect cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. These disorders are characterized by significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important activities.
Classification
Psychiatric disorders are classified into several categories based on their symptoms and the duration of these symptoms. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) are the two main systems used for classification.
Mood Disorders
Mood disorders, also known as affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, and cyclothymic disorder.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive and persistent fear and worry about everyday situations. The frequency and intensity of anxiety are disproportionate to the actual situation and affects a person's normal functioning. These disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
Psychotic Disorders
Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations and delusions. Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders involve preoccupation with food and body weight. Examples of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.
Personality Disorders
Personality disorders involve long-term patterns of behavior and inner experiences that differs significantly from what is expected. The pattern of experience and behavior begins by late adolescence or early adulthood and causes distress or problems in functioning. Examples of personality disorders include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and histrionic personality disorder.
Causes
The exact cause of psychiatric disorders is not known, but a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors can contribute to the development of these disorders. A family history of psychiatric disorders can increase the risk of developing a disorder.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of psychiatric disorders begins with a medical doctor who performs a physical examination and asks about the patient's personal and family medical history. Based on the results, a referral to a mental health professional may be made who will then conduct a more comprehensive mental health evaluation.
Treatment
Treatment of psychiatric disorders typically involves a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and self-care. One or more types of therapy may be used to treat the individual. Treatment plans are tailored to the individual and the specific disorder and its severity.