Mental disorder causes

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor-In Chief: Marcelo R. Zacarkim, M.D. [2]

Main article: Causes of mental disorders

Overview

Numerous factors have been linked to the development of mental disorders. In many cases there is no single accepted or consistent cause. A common view is that disorders often result from genetic vulnerabilities combining with environmental stressors (Diathesis-stress model). An eclectic or pluralistic mix of models may be used to explain particular disorders. The primary paradigm of contemporary mainstream Western psychiatry is said to be the biopsychosocial (BPS) model - incorporating biological, psychological and social factors - although this may not be applied in practice. Biopsychiatry has tended to follow a biomedical model, focusing on "organic" or "hardware" pathology of the brain. Psychoanalytic theories have been popular but are now less so. Evolutionary psychology may be used as an overall explanatory theory. Attachment theory is another kind of evolutionary-psychological approach sometimes applied in the context for mental disorders. A distinction is sometimes made between a "medical model" or a "social model" of disorder and related disability.

Genetic studies have indicated that genes often play an important role in the development of mental disorders, via developmental pathways interacting with environmental factors. The reliable identification of connections between specific genes and specific categories of disorder has proven more difficult.

Environmental events surrounding pregnancy and birth have also been implicated. Traumatic brain injury may increase the risk of developing certain mental disorders. There have been some tentative inconsistent links found to certain viral infections, to substance misuse, and to general physical health.

Abnormal functioning of neurotransmitter systems has been implicated, including serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and glutamate systems. Differences have also been found in the size or activity of certain brains regions in some cases. Psychological mechanisms have also been implicated, such as cognitive and emotional processes, personality, temperament and coping style.

Social influences have been found to be important, including abuse, bullying and other negative or stressful life experiences. The specific risks and pathways to particular disorders are less clear, however. Aspects of the wider community have also been implicated, including employment problems, socioeconomic inequality, lack of social cohesion, problems linked to migration, and features of particular societies and cultures.

Causes

Common Causes

• Anxiety disorders
• Anorexia
• Binge eating disorder
• Bulimia
• Depression
• Environmental stressors
• Eating disorders
• Illicit drugs use (cocaine, heroin, meth)
• Personality disorders
• Traumatic brain injury

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	No underlying causes
Chemical / poisoning	Cocaine
Dermatologic	No underlying causes
Drug Side Effect	Long-term opioid use
Ear Nose Throat	No underlying causes
Endocrine	No underlying causes
Environmental	Environmental stressors, Exposure to toxins
Gastroenterologic	No underlying causes
Genetic	Narcolepsy, Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Down syndrome (Trisomy 21), Difficulty delaying gratification, Dissociative amnesia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Dysthymia, Fragile X Syndrome, Genetic prenatal causes, Genetic vulnerabilities, Landau-Kleffner syndrome, Language-based learning disability, Learning disorders, Mental retardation, Paranoid personality disorder
Hematologic	No underlying causes
Iatrogenic	No underlying causes
Infectious Disease	Syphilis
Musculoskeletal / Ortho	No underlying causes
Neurologic	Migraine, Body dysmorphic disorder, Borna disease, Brain defects or injury, Dementia, Developmental disorders, Developmental language disorder, Miscellaneous neurologic events, Neuropsychiatric disorder
Nutritional / Metabolic	Malnutrition
Obstetric/Gynecologic	Pregnancy, Unplanned pregnancy
Oncologic	Cancer
Opthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose / Toxicity	No underlying causes
Psychiatric	Anxiety, Autism, Attention deficit, Avoidant personality disorder, Brief psychotic disorder, Bipolar disorder, Borderline personality disorder, Bullying, Bulimia, Childhood disintegrative disorder, Conversion disorder, Cyclothymic disorder, Dependent personality disorder, Depression, Dissociative identity disorder, Emotional maltreatment, Emotional neglect, Emotional processes, Exhibitionism, False perceptions, Feelings of inadequacy, Frequent mood swings, Gambling addiction, Generalized anxiety disorder, Hallucinations, Histrionic personality disorder, Hyperactivity disorder, Hypersomnia, Hypochondriasis, Impulse control disorders, Kleptomania, Loneliness, Low self-esteem, Intermittent explosive disorder, Narcissistic personality disorder, Neuropsychiatric disorder, Nonaffective Psychosis, Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Personality disorder, Post traumatic stress disorder, Postpartum psychosis, Post traumatic stress disorder, Psychotic disorders, Pyromania, Schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizotypal personality disorder, Somatization Disorder, Suicide attempts, Specific phobias, Tic disorders
Pulmonary	No underlying causes
Renal / Electrolyte	No underlying causes
Rheum / Immune / Allergy	Brachioradial pruritus
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	No underlying causes
Urologic	No underlying causes
Dental	No underlying causes
Miscellaneous	Binge eating disorder, Behavioral disorders, Cannabis use, Cocaine use, Changing jobs or schools, Death or divorce, Delusional disorder, Dysfunctional family life, Financial problems, Frotteurism, Insomnia, Migration, Unemployment, Voyeurism

Causes in Alphabetical Order

Abnormal behavior Abnormal functioning of neurotransmitter systems Abuse Acute stress disorder Adjustment disorder Agoraphobia Alcohol abuse Alzheimer disease Amnesia Anger Angry outbursts Anorexia Antisocial personality disorder Anxiety Asperger syndrome Attention deficit Autism Avoidant personality disorder Behavioral disorders Binge eating disorder Bipolar disorder Body dysmorphic disorder Borderline personality disorder Borna disease Brachioradial pruritus Brain defects or injury Brief psychotic disorder Bulimia Bullying Cancer Cannabis use Changing jobs or schools Childhood disintegrative disorder Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome Cocaine use Comorbid anxiety Conduct disorder Conversion disorder Cyclothymic disorder Death or divorce Delusional disorder Dementia Dependent personality disorder Depression Developmental disorders Developmental language disorder Difficulty delaying gratification Disordered eating Dissociative amnesia Dissociative identity disorder Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) Dysfunctional family life Dysthymic disorder (dysthymia) Eating disorders Ego-syntonic symptoms Emotional maltreatment Emotional neglect Emotional processes Environmental stressors Exhibitionism Experiences in the womb (mother who was exposed to viruses, toxins, drugs or alcohol during pregnancy) Exposure to toxins (such as lead) Externalizing and blaming the world for their behaviors and feelings False perceptions (visual, auditory or olfactory) Feelings of inadequacy Fetishism Financial problems Fragile X Syndrome (FMR1) Frequent mood swings Frotteurism Functional impairment (self-care, work, and interpersonal functioning) Gambling addiction Gender identity disorder Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) Genetic prenatal causes Genetic vulnerabilities Global developmental delay/intellectual disability Hallucinations

Hearing impairment High risk sexual behavior Histrionic personality disorder Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Hypersomnia Hypochondriasis Impulse control disorders Insomnia Intermittent explosive disorder Job loss Kleptomania Lack of social cohesion Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) Language-based learning disability Learning disorders Lesch-Nyhan syndrome Loneliness Long-term opioid use Low self-esteem Mental retardation Migraine Migration Miscellaneous neurologic events Multiple sclerosis Narcissistic Personality Disorder Narcolepsy Negative working conditions Neuropsychiatric disorder Nonaffective Psychosis Obsessive-compulsive disorder Oppositional Defiant Disorder Otalgia paresthetica Pain disorder Panic attack Panic disorder Paranoid personality disorder Paraphilia Pedophilia Perinatal causes (hypoxia, infection, trauma and intracranial hemorrhage) Personality disorders Physical abuse Psychological abuse Polysubstance use Poor nutrition Postnatal causes (environmental toxins, psychosocial deprivation, malnutrition, intracranial infection, CNS malignancy) Postpartum psychosis Post traumatic stress disorder Psychotic disorders Pyromania Rett syndrome Sadness Schizoaffective disorder Schizophrenia Schizotypal personality disorder Separation anxiety disorder Severe early deprivation/reactive attachment disorder Sexual abuse Sexual Masochism Shared psychotic disorder (Folie à deux) Significant early loss Sleep disorders Social phobia Socioeconomic inequality Somatization Disorder Specific phobias Stress Substance use disorder Substance-induced psychotic disorder Suicide attempts Syphilis Tic disorders Tourette syndrome Traumatic brain injury Traumatic event Trichotillomania Undifferentiated Somatoform disorder Unemployment Unplanned pregnancy Voyeurism