Mental Health

Everyone feels worried or anxious or down from time to time. But relatively few people develop a mental illness. What's the difference? A mental illness is a mental health condition that gets in the way of thinking, relating to others, and day-to-day function.


Mental illness is an equal opportunity issue. It affects young and old, male and female, and individuals of every race, ethnic background, education level, and income level. The good news is that it can often be treated.

Signs and symptoms of mental illness depend in part on the illness. Common symptoms include

  • feeling down for a while
  • extreme swings in mood
  • withdrawing from family, friends, or activities
  • low energy or problems sleeping
  • often feeling angry, hostile, or violent
  • feeling paranoid, hearing voices, or having hallucinations
  • often thinking about death or suicide.

In some people, symptoms of a mental illness first appear as physical problems such as stomach aches, back pain, or insomnia.

Individuals with a mental illness can often ease their symptoms and feel better by talking with a therapist and following a treatment plan that may or may not include medication.

Mental Health Articles

How depression affects your thinking skills

Often, one of the first signs of depression in people ages 70 or older is a change in thinking. This may show up as trouble with attention, memory, decision making, information processing, or executive function. Because the symptoms of depression are similar to those of other conditions, depression is often overlooked. When these symptoms occur, a primary care physician should do a depression screening. Treating depression leads to marked improvement in thinking, memory, and executive function. (Locked) More »

The power of the placebo effect


What does it take to be a super-ager?


Staying calm in turbulent times


Take steps to prevent or reverse stress-related health problems


3 easy ways to boost your brain

Studies have indicted that caring for a dog, creating art, and spending time with a grandchild can boost different aspects of memory and reasoning. (Locked) More »

What can you do to avoid Alzheimer’s disease?


Yes, you can stick to an exercise regimen!

Staying on an exercise regimen can be challenging, but some strategies may help people to stick to the program. Strategies include doing an enjoyable activity, setting goals and rewards, scheduling exercise in a written plan, gradually increasing intensity, exercising with a buddy, charting progress in a journal or with an activity tracker, making exercise more challenging by changing the frequency or duration, and getting back to a normal exercise routine if it falls by the wayside. (Locked) More »