What is the definition of mental illness?
The definition of mental illness can vary by state. Florida defines mental health in their Mental Health Act: “Mental illness” means an impairment of the mental or emotional processes that exercise conscious control of one’s actions or of the ability to perceive or understand reality, which impairment substantially interferes with a person’s ability to meet the ordinary demands of living, regardless of etiology. For the purposes of this part, the term does not include retardation or developmental disability as defined in chapter 393, intoxication, or conditions manifested only by antisocial behavior or substance abuse impairment. The following organizations provide definitions of mental illness: the American Psychiatric Association, the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and the Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) at the Center for Mental Health Services.
