The mind is a sensitive, mysterious faculty of the human organism, and mental health is very important for one’s well-being. Van Weeghel et al. (2019) defined mental illness as a pattern of behavioral or intellectual problems that affect many aspects of one’s existence. These symptoms can include changes in mood, thought, and behavior (TalkTherapyTV, 2011). The definition of mental illness can vary depending on the source, but it generally refers to conditions that affect a person’s ability to function in daily life.
Defining mental illness can be problematic for several reasons. One issue is that the boundaries between normal and abnormal behavior can be challenging to discern. For example, what one person might consider being symptoms of a mental illness, another person might see as a normal response to a difficult situation. Another problem with defining mental illness is that there is often a lack of clear biological markers or objective criteria to diagnose these conditions. For example, while physical illnesses such as cancer can be diagnosed through imaging studies, mental illnesses are typically diagnosed based on a patient’s reported symptoms and a clinician’s observation of the patient’s behavior (van Weeghel et al., 2019). This screening method can lead to diagnostic errors or overdiagnosis.
Furthermore, online mental health screening primarily depends on a patient’s self-discipline and willingness to get help, making diagnosis difficult when a patient believes in not having any mental health issues. In addition, after taking several quick tests on Mental Health America (2022), I argue that self-reporting can also mislead one into thinking of having mental health issues. The tests appeared to be highly sensitive since getting a warning of a mental health illness in a mild form required scoring just a few points. Therefore, the definition of mental illness can be problematic because the self-perception of mental health can be distorted by subjective judgment, cultural context, and lack of clear biological markers.
References
Mental Health America. (2022). Take a mental health test. Web.
TalkTherapyTV. (2011). Diagnosis: What defines mental illness? [Video]. YouTube. Web.
van Weeghel, J., van Zelst, C., Boertien, D., & Hasson-Ohayon, I. (2019). Conceptualizations, assessments, and implications of personal recovery in mental illness: A scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 42(2), 169–181. Web.