Mental health problems cover a wide range of challenges that affect emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and overall wellbeing.

Some are formally diagnosable psychiatric disorders according to the DSM-V, while others are non-diagnosable but clinically significant difficulties that still impact quality of life.

Common Diagnosable Disorders (Please note: this overview is not exhaustive and does not include every possible condition)

• Anxiety Disorders – Excessive worry or fear interfering with daily life (e.g., GAD, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, Phobias).
• Mood Disorders – Disturbances in mood such as persistent sadness or mood swings (e.g., Depression, Bipolar Disorder).
• Psychotic Disorders – Impaired reality testing, hallucinations, or delusions (e.g., Schizophrenia).
• Eating Disorders – Disturbances in eating and body image (e.g., Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating).
• Addiction & Substance Use Disorders – Compulsive use of substances or behaviors despite harm (e.g., Alcohol, Drugs, Gambling).
• Personality Disorders – Enduring maladaptive patterns in thinking, feeling, or behavior (e.g., Borderline, Antisocial, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder).
• Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders – Intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors (e.g., OCD, Hair-Pulling, Skin-Picking).
• Trauma & Stressor-Related Disorders – Emotional and behavioral effects following trauma (e.g., PTSD, Complex PTSD, Adjustment Disorders).

Non-Diagnosable but Clinically Significant Difficulties

Not all difficulties meet the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis, yet they can still cause distress and impair daily life. Examples include:

• Burnout: Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced sense of accomplishment, commonly linked to chronic workplace stress.
• Perfectionism: Persistent striving for excessively high standards and critical self-evaluation, often contributing to anxiety, depression, and burnout.
• Low Self-Esteem: Negative self-perception and diminished self-worth, which can increase vulnerability to emotional disorders and interpersonal difficulties.
• Relationship Problems: Maladaptive interaction patterns, recurrent conflicts, or insecure attachment in romantic, family, or workplace relationships.
• Stress-Related Difficulties: Chronic stress impairing functioning but not meeting full diagnostic criteria for anxiety or adjustment disorders.
• Attachment Difficulties: Maladaptive attachment styles (e.g., avoidant, anxious, disorganized) that interfere with healthy relational patterns.