Are Mental Health Disorders Genetic?

One of the things you’re asking yourself if you have a mental illness and are thinking about having children or already have children is if you may pass your mental illness on to your child.

Photo by Sangharsh Lohakare on Unsplash

A mental disorder is a type of clinically diagnosed condition characterized by clinically significant deviations from how a person functioned previously. Mental illnesses are ultimately diagnosed based on observed behavior rather than self-reported symptoms.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly 25% of US adults (ages 18 and above) and 13% of US children (ages 8 to 15) are diagnosed with a mental condition. The following are some examples of mental disorders:

• 10% of the population suffers from depression.
• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) — Affects 5% to 11% of the population.
• ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) affects one out of every 68 children.
• Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects 1% of the population.
• Bipolar Disorder (BPD) affects 2% to 3% of the population.

Mental Disorders Diagnosis