Causes of Mental Illness

Home: Causes of Mental Illness

Common Causes of Mental Illness

That MUST Be Treated to Improve Overall Health!

There are a number of causes of mental illness including biological, psychological, environmental, lifestyle and nutritional factors. Unfortunately many of these factors are often not identified or even acknowledged by many mental health practitioners leading to poor treatment outcomes.

The figure below provides a summary of many of the possible causes of mental illness.

Common Causes of Mental Health Problems

This page provides links to many of the common causes of psychological problems like depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and other conditions. To adequately treat mental health problems these causes must be identified and treated.

This page will be regularly updated so be sure to check back regularly (or subscribe to my blog to be notified of updates)

Nutritional Causes

Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats and other nutrients are important for both physical and mental health. Some of the important mental health nutrients are outlined below:

Zinc Deficiency

Iron Deficiency

Vitamin D Deficiency

Fact Sheet on Vitamin D

Vitamin D and Depression

Magnesium Deficiency

Environmental Causes

We live in an environment full of beauties and dangers. Exposure to many environmental toxins can have an adverse impact on mental health. These include:

Psychological Causes

Our mental health is influenced by our past and present experiences. There are a number of psychological factors that can influence mental health. These include:

Biological Causes

Our genetics can greatly influence our emotional health. Some of the genetic (biological) causes include:

Neurotransmitter imbalances

(brain chemicals important for mood)

Adrenal Gland Fatigue

('adrenal fatigue' / 'adrenal exhaustion')

Thyroid Problems

(hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism)

Gut Brain Connection

(digestive problems/ diseases and mental health)

Lifestyle Causes

The way we live can greatly affect both our mental and physical health. Some important lifestyle causes include:

As you can see from the list above, there are a number of causes of mental illness. If you are suffering from a mental illness and have sought treatment in the past without experiencing full recovery, then it is important to review this list of causes to determine which areas may be impacting on your emotional and psychological recovery.

WHAT's NEW!

Subscribe to our FREE
Improve Mental Health E-zine: