Severe mental illnesses, such as psychosis, depression, epilepsy and disorders that are common in children and elderly people, are collectively referred to as priority mental health disorders by the World Health Organization (WHO). The eight conditions listed below require special focus from the health service, not only because they cause a lot of suffering to individuals, but also because they are treatable or can be modified through treatment. You will learn about them all, either in this study session or in a later one.

Priority mental health disorders (WHO)

Psychosis: this is the collective name for a group of serious disorders characterised by changes in behaviour (for example poor self-care, restlessness), strange thoughts or beliefs (for example believing that others wish to do the individual harm) and related dispositions.
Mania: a form of severe mental illness in which a person is excessively happy or irritable (experiences extreme mood swings), appears over-active and sleeps poorly. People with mania have poor reasoning skills (they have difficulty understanding what is good and what is bad), and display excessive self-confidence.
Mania is included under psychosis in the WHO list. The two are separated here for clarity.
Depression: this is the most common priority disorder and is characterised by excessive sadness, loss of interest, lack of energy and related symptoms.
Suicide: this will be discussed in more detail in this session and refers to the intentional ending of one's own life.
Abuse of alcohol and other substances: refers to excessive use of these substances to the detriment of one's health.
Childhood mental disorders
Dementia: this condition is more common in older people and is characterised by memory problems and broader problems with thinking and understanding.
Epilepsy: this is a chronic or longstanding condition caused by abnormal electrical conductions in the brain. In its most obvious form, it is characterised by episodic loss of consciousness and repetitive jerky movements of the body.