If you’re unsure whether you, or someone you know is suffering from mental illness, please review the signs and symptoms below.

Some are a common occurrence in people’s lives from time to time, however if they are occurring more frequently than before, or if they all seem to be happening at the same time, then it may indeed be a mental health issue that is causing it all.

Please be aware that early intervention, and support, can prevent many mental health issues form developing into serious, and potentially harmful disabilities.

What to look out for in adults

  • Confused thinking
  • Prolonged depression (sadness or irritability)
  • Feelings of extreme highs and lows
  • Excessive fears, worries and anxieties
  • Social withdrawal
  • Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
  • Strong feelings of anger
  • Delusions or hallucinations
  • Growing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Denial of obvious problems
  • Numerous unexplained physical ailments
  • Substance abuse

What to look out for in adolescents

  • Substance abuse
  • Inability to cope with problems and daily activities
  • Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
  • Excessive complaints of physical ailments
  • Defiance of authority, truancy, theft, and/or vandalism
  • Intense fear of weight gain
  • Prolonged negative mood, often accompanied by poor appetite or thoughts of death
  • Frequent outbursts of anger

What to look out for in young children

  • Changes in school performance
  • Poor grades despite strong efforts
  • Excessive worry or anxiety (i.e., refusing to go to bed or school)
  • Hyperactivity
  • Persistent nightmares
  • Persistent disobedience or aggression
  • Frequent temper tantrums