Serious Mental Illness

The Serious Mental Illness topic includes research on diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders that result in a substantial functional impairment that limits major life activities (for example, eating, personal hygiene, managing money, taking medication as prescribed, and functioning in social contexts).

Mental illnesses are common in the United States and around the world. Young adults aged 18–25 years have the highest prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) compared to older age groups. Yet, the percentage of young adults with SMI who receive mental health treatment is lower than older age groups. The observed prevalence of SMI is also higher among females than males.

Mental disorders often run in families. While hundreds of individual genes have been linked to mental illnesses, the function of most of these genes in the brain remains poorly understood.