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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough the precise cause of mental illness isn't known, certain factors may increase the risk of developing or triggering mental illness, including:
- Having other biological relatives with a mental illness
- Malnutrition or exposure to viruses while in the womb, which is linked to schizophrenia
- Stressful life situations, such as financial problems, a loved one's death or a divorce
- Chronic medical conditions, such as cancer
- Combat
- Taking psychoactive drugs during adolescence
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Lack of friendships or healthy relationships
Mental illness is common worldwide. In the United States, about one in four adults has a mental illness in any given year. And nearly half of them have more than one mental illness at the same time. Mental illness can begin at almost any age, from childhood through later adult years.
