About Mental Health

In general, mental health issues may be grouped in three categories:

Serious emotional disturbances that affect children -- basically, mental illnesses that occur  in  those younger than 18.

Developmental disabilities affecting adults and children; click for details about specific disabilities.

Mental Illness

The Louisiana Mental Health Code defines mental illness as "a substantial disorder of thought or mood that significantly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life."

Major types of mental illness: ADHD. Anxiety. Bereavement. Bipolar Disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder. Conduct Disorder. Depression. Eating Disorders. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Panic Disorder. Phobias. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Reactive Disorder. Schizophrenia. Self-Injury. Substance Use Disorder.

Serious Emotional Disturbance

A serious emotional disturbance means a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that severely disrupts a child's or adolescent's ability to function socially, academically, and emotionally, at home, in school, or in the community, and has been apparent for more than a six month period.

Developmental Disability

Developmental disabilities are a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. People with developmental disabilities have problems with major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living. Developmental disabilities begin anytime during development.