Mental health
Mental health problems like depression and anxiety affect around 1 in 4 people, as well as rarer problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Read more about getting the right diagnosis and support.
Our mental health refers to our emotional and psychological wellbeing.
Mental health affects how we think, feel, and act every day. It plays an important role in how we handle stress, socialise with others, and make decisions throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Good mental health is being able to think, feel and react in the ways you need and want to. Mental health problems affect around one in four people in the UK. They range from more common problems like depression and anxiety, to rarer problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
A GP can advise you on mental health self-care, support and necessary treatment.
- Agoraphobia
- Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes people to fear situations where it's difficult to escape or get help if things go wrong.
- Anorexia nervosa
- Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that affects the relationship that you have with food and your body.
- Anxiety
- Anxiety is a feeling of unease, like fear or worry. It can be mild or severe.
- Binge eating disorder
- People with binge eating disorder have uncontrollable binges on excessive amounts of food until they feel uncomfortably full.
- Bipolar disorder
- Bipolar is a mental health condition where you experience extreme mood swings of manic ‘highs’ followed by depressive ‘lows’.
- Borderline personality disorder
- Borderline personality disorder is a type of personality disorder that affects your thoughts, feelings and how you interact with others.
- Depression
- Depression is a mental health condition that's described as a persistent feeling of sadness and unhappiness.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- People with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have frequent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or feel the need to keep repeating certain actions (compulsions).
- Panic disorder
- Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder where you have recurring and sudden panic attacks.
- Personality Disorder
- If you have a personality disorder, it means that you think, feel and behave in a fixed way which has a big impact on your daily life.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event.
- Postnatal depression
- It’s normal for women to feel a bit low after giving birth, but if the symptoms are persistent and have a big impact on daily life, it could be postnatal depression.
- Psychosis
- Psychosis is when you have a different interpretation of reality to others – you may see or hear things that others don't or believe things that aren't true.
- Schizophrenia
- Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that affects the way you think. It has a significant impact on your daily life.
- Social anxiety
- People with social anxiety disorder have an intense fear of social situations and avoid them whenever possible.
- Seasonal affective-disorder
- People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) feel depressed at specific times of the year.
- Phobias
- If feel a very intense and persistent fear of something, you may be experiencing a phobia. Learn about the support and treatment available.
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