Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by repetitive, unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions (compulsions).

Mental disorders like depression and anxiety are characterized by a variety of different symptoms, and individuals receiving the same diagnosis may experience different combinations of those symptoms.

We’re seeing continued advances in making psychiatric diagnoses—and, therefore, improved treatment. A major step in this direction occurred in 2009 when the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) ...

Credit: Getty Images Some rare psychological disorders may occur so infrequently that most mental health professionals might never encounter them. Approximately 1 of every 5 adults in the United ...

A massive global genetics study is reshaping how we understand mental illness—and why diagnoses so often pile up. By ...

If you have any familiarity with the Salem Witch Trials, you already know something about mass hysteria, also known as mass psychogenic illness. Mass hysteria refers to an outbreak of unusual and ...

People with schizophrenia have much higher rates of substance use disorders – including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and cocaine – than the general population. One study found 47% of people with ...

When people picture someone with an eating disorder, many think of a thin teenage girl with anorexia nervosa. This stereotype ...

Mental hygiene is equally important as personal hygiene. It's high time the government invested in mental health insofar as ...