What is meant by mental illness?

Mental illness refers to a broad range of psychiatric disorders that affect an individual's cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. It includes conditions that can disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others. Among these disorders are those that involve significant impairments in normal functioning and can include diagnoses such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders, which encompass both alcohol and drug dependence.

The choice that identifies mental illness correctly captures the essence of psychiatric disorders, linking them to significant impairments in functioning and societal interactions. Recognizing mental illness in this manner is essential for understanding the complexities involved in mental health treatment and the necessity for appropriate interventions.

The other options do not accurately define mental illness. Physical health issues do not account for the psychological and emotional factors involved in mental health. Similarly, a temporary emotional response, while potentially related to mental health, does not encompass the enduring and often debilitating nature of mental disorders classified as mental illness. Lastly, an inability to think logically may describe a symptom found in some mental illnesses, but it fails to represent the full spectrum of what mental illness entails.