It can be good to know what some of the more common forms of mental illness are. It's estimated that around a quarter of the population has a mental problem at some point, so it's helpful to have a general idea of the symptoms of typical illnesses, so you may be able to recognise them in yourself or someone close to you.


We tend to think of 'mental illness' as something quite dramatic, but in fact the commonest problems are related to depression, anxiety and various phobias - all things that you may have encountered and not thought of as mental illnesses. You can find a full list here together with links to more information, especially about treatment.

Charities like Mind are also a great source of information whether you are concerned about yourself or someone else, or just would like to know more about what mental health really means.