What are Mental Disorders?* * Please note that we will use the phrases mental disorder and mental illness as synonyms. Here's what we know about mental disorders: • Disturbances of emotion, thinking, and/or behaviour • Derive from perturbations in the function of various brain circuits • Arise from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors • May range in intensity • Lead to functional assessment (interpersonal, social, vocational, etc.) • Respond to evidence-based Treatments provided by trained professionals Mental disorders are not: • The consequence of poor parenting or bad behaviour • The manifestation of malevolent spiritual intent • Caused by poor nutrition • Poverty or lifestyle choices How is the brain involved? • Everything that a person does, feels, thinks or experiences involves the functioning of their brain• Most things a brain does depends on many different parts of the brain working together in a network• The brain is made up of cells, connections