Mental Health: The Facts

One in five Australians will experience a mental illness.
“Mental illness” is a general term that refers to a group of illnesses, in the same way that heart disease refers to a group of illnesses affecting the heart.
Episodes of a mental illness can come and go in periods through people’s lives. Some people experience their illness only once and fully recover. For others, it recurs throughout their lives.
Most mental illnesses can be effectively treated.
Though we know that many mental illnesses are caused by a physical dysfunction of the brain, we do not know exactly what triggers this.
Stress may trigger some mental illnesses or may prolong episodes. Stress can also result when a person develops a mental illness.
People who have mental illness often suffer a great deal. They can be disturbed and frightened by their illness.
Not only do they and their families have to cope with an illness that can radically alter their lives, they often experience rejection and discrimination.
People with a mental illness need the same understanding and support given to people with a physical illness. A mental illness is no different – it is not an illness for which anyone should be blamed.
It is rarely possible for someone with a mental illness to make the symptoms go away just by strength of will. To suggest this is not helpful in any way.
Mental illnesses can be separated into two main categories: psychotic and non-psychotic.

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