List of Documented Psychological Disorders

Medically reviewed by Elle Markman, PsyD, MPH

Psychological disorders—also called mental health conditions or mental disorders—are when a person has significant disturbances in how they think, feel, or behave. Psychological disorders can affect daily functioning and interpersonal relationships. The most common psychological disorders in the United States are anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Psychological disorders can be temporary or lifelong. Though challenging to live with, these conditions are treatable. In this article, learn more about psychological disorders.

How Are Psychological Disorders Classified?

There are over 200 different types of psychological disorders. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) includes information and diagnostic criteria for all recognized psychological disorders, making it an essential resource for mental health professionals. Classifications within the DSM-5 are collections of multiple psychological disorders that share an overarching theme.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a classification in the DSM-5 and the most common type of psychological disorder, affecting 19.1% of adults each year and 31.1% across their lifetime. For the most part, anxiety disorders are fear- or worry-related conditions.

To be classified as an anxiety disorder, this fear must be disproportionate to the situation and/or affect a person's ability to function normally.

The 12 types of anxiety disorder listed in the DSM-5 are:

• Separation anxiety disorder

• Selective mutism

• Specific phobia

• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)

• Panic disorder

• Panic attack (specifier)

• Agoraphobia

• Generalized anxiety disorder

• Substance/medication-induced anxiety disorder

• Anxiety disorder due to another medical condition

• Other specified anxiety disorder

• Unspecified anxiety disorder

Treatment typically includes talk therapy (psychotherapy), medication, and lifestyle changes.

Depressive, Bipolar, and Other Mood Disorders

In previous editions of the DSM-5, there was a category called mood disorders. In the fifth edition, however, the title mood disorders was removed, and it was divided into subcategories, including depressive disorders and bipolar disorders.

Depressive Disorders

Depressive disorders are one of the most common psychological disorders, with about 8.3% of adults in the United States experiencing at least one major depressive episode per year. People with depressive disorders experience symptoms such as depressed mood, loss of pleasure, interest, and motivation, and physical symptoms, among others.

Depressive disorders include:

• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

• Major depressive disorder, single and recurrent episodes

• Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)

• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

• Substance/medication-induced depressive disorder

• Depressive disorder due to another medical condition

• Other specified depressive disorder

• Unspecified depressive disorder

Treatments for depressive disorders include psychotherapy, antidepressant medications, and lifestyle changes.

Bipolar and Related Disorders

Bipolar disorder affects about 2.8% of adults in the United States each year. People with bipolar and related disorders experience extreme and unusual shifts in their emotions, mood, cognition, and activity levels. These include depressive episodes and manic episodes (extreme excitement or energy) at varying frequencies depending on the specific disorder.

Bipolar and related disorders include:

• Bipolar 1 disorder

• Bipolar 2 disorder

• Cyclothymic disorder

• Substance/medication-induced bipolar and related disorder

• Bipolar and related disorder due to another medical condition

• Other specified bipolar and related disorder

• Unspecified bipolar and related disorder

Treatment for bipolar and related disorders primarily includes psychotherapy and medication (including help adhering to a medication schedule). Additional treatments may consist of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and light therapy.

Related: What Are the Differences Between Bipolar 1 and 2?

Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

People with obsessive-compulsive and related disorders experience recurring and unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the most common mental disorder in this category and is estimated to affect about 2% to 3% of people in the United States.

Types of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders include:

• OCD

• Body dysmorphic disorder

• Hoarding disorder

• Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder)

• Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder

• Substance/medication-induced obsessive-compulsive and related disorder

• Obsessive-compulsive and related disorder due to another medical condition

• Other specified obsessive-compulsive and related disorder

• Unspecified obsessive-compulsive and related disorder

Treatment for OCD and related disorders usually includes a combination of psychotherapy and medication with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In rare cases, treatment may consist of neurosurgical methods like deep brain stimulation.

Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses

Schizophrenia affects less than 1% of adults in the United States each year and is considered a serious mental illness.

People with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders may experience three general types of symptoms, including:

• Psychotic symptoms, such as losing touch with reality, delusions, and hallucinations.

• Negative symptoms include loss of emotions, interest, and motivation, blunted affect, and withdrawal from social life. Sometimes, people with schizophrenia will stop talking (alogia) or moving (catatonia).

• Cognitive symptoms, such as issues with concentration, memory, and thinking.
  

The schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders classification includes eight disorders, which are:

• Schizotypal (personality) disorder

• Delusional disorder

• Brief psychotic disorder

• Schizophreniform disorder

• Schizophrenia

• Schizoaffective disorder

• Substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder

• Psychotic disorder due to another medical condition

Treatment for this type of mental disorder is vital and includes antipsychotic medications, psychotherapy, education and support, and specialty programs such as coordinated specialty care and assertive community treatment.

Related: How Schizophrenia Is Treated

Trauma- and Stress-Related Disorders

Trauma- and stressor-related disorders is a classification in the DSM-5 that is most well known for including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the United States, about 1 in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD during their lifetime.

The characteristic shared by trauma- and stress-related disorders is that the person has been exposed to—either directly or indirectly—significant trauma or stress leading to their symptoms. Symptoms vary but can include anxiety, intrusions, dissociation, substance use, insomnia, reactivity, and more.

Types of disorders within this classification include:

• Reactive attachment disorder

• Disinhibited social engagement disorder

• PTSD

• Acute stress disorder

• Adjustment disorders

• Other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder

• Unspecified trauma- and stressor-related disorder

Treatment consists of medications and psychotherapy, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy, as well as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR).

Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are when a person's behavior and way of thinking and feeling significantly differ from cultural expectations and cause problems in their day-to-day functioning. People with personality disorders often find it challenging to relate to others. Approximately 9.1% of adults in the United States are diagnosed with a personality disorder in their lifetime.

Personality disorders are divided into three groups, or clusters, based on their symptoms.

Cluster A (odd/eccentric):

• Paranoid personality disorder

• Schizoid personality disorder

• Schizotypal personality disorder

Cluster B (dramatic/erratic):

• Antisocial personality disorder

• Borderline personality disorder

• Histrionic personality disorder

• Narcissistic personality disorder

Cluster C (anxious/inhibited):

• Avoidant personality disorder

• Dependent personality disorder

• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Other personality disorders:

• Personality change due to another medical condition

• Other specified personality disorder

• Unspecified personality disorder

Treatment primarily includes various types of psychotherapy, such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, and more. Pyscho-education, lifestyle changes, and community support groups can also help. There are no medications approved to treat personality disorders. However, people living with a personality disorder may take medication to manage co-occurring symptoms like anxiety and/or depression.

Sleep Disorders

Some people may be surprised that sleep disorders are classified in the DSM-5 as mental health conditions. There are many sleep disorders, and they all relate to irregularity in a person's sleep.

Types of sleep disorders include:

• Insomnia disorder

• Hypersomnolence disorder

• Narcolepsy

• Breathing-related sleep disorders

• Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders

• Parasomnias

• Restless legs syndrome

• Substance/medication-induced sleep disorder

Sleep disorders may be managed by psychiatrists, neurologists, and/or pulmonologists as there is a significant crossover between physical and mental health with these conditions. Treatments include psychotherapy as well as medication, lifestyle changes, and assistive devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines.

Eating Disorders

Feeding and eating disorders are a group of mental illnesses in which the person has a severe disturbance in eating behaviors, accompanied by distressing thoughts and emotions around food, eating, and body image.

Types of feeding and eating disorders include:

• Pica

• Rumination disorder

• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

• Anorexia nervosa

• Bulimia nervosa

• Binge-eating disorder

• Other specified feeding or eating disorder

• Unspecified feeding or eating disorder

Treatment for these conditions involves psychotherapy and behavioral programs with professionals trained in managing eating disorders. These programs are available either in an inpatient rehabilitation center or within the community. People with eating disorders also see registered dietitians to address nutrition deficiencies and more.

Substance Use Disorders

Substance-related and addictive disorders is a classification within the DSM-5 that includes over 50 different conditions, all relating to addiction or misuse of certain substances leading to life-impairing symptoms.

The disorders are categorized based on the type of substance being used. Substances include:

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Cannabis

• Hallucinogen

• Inhalant

• Opioid

• Sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic

• Stimulant

• Tobacco

• Other (or unknown)

Treatment for these disorders is a bit different in that it typically includes a detoxification or rehabilitation facility and specialized treatment to help the person safely discontinue the use of the substance, in addition to psychotherapy and/or medication. However, treatment varies based on the substance.

Related: What Is Substance Abuse Disorder?

How to Learn More and Find Support

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, consider talking to a trusted healthcare provider. Proper diagnosis and treatment are essential for managing symptoms and returning to your daily life.

National resources for mental health support include:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Mental Health Hotlines

Consider also looking for support groups, charities, and other resources in your community.

Related: What Is Mental Health Counseling?

Summary

Mental health conditions affect how a person thinks, feels, and behaves and can make it more difficult for the person to function in their daily life and maintain relationships with themselves and others. The most common psychological disorders are anxiety, depression, and PTSD, but there are over 200 recognized conditions listed in the DSM-5.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.