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•The death of a close relative or friend, constant change in location (moving jobs, school far away), hard break up or seeing relatives divorce, having a tumultuous home life, living in poverty, being socially isolated.

•Failure to feel adequate, appreciated or loved by others. Failing to meet cultural or social norm, feeling like an outcast.

•Emotional, physical or sexual abuse during childhood, losing a parent or close loved one at an early age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_schizophrenia

Psychological Causes of Mental Disorders
At the other end of the spectrum are psychological causes for mental disorders. Those professionals that do not believe biology is the sole cause for mental disorders may believe that psychology is. Some clinicians go as far as to speculate that abnormal behavior can be solely explained by social and psychological means. In many examples, environmental and psychological triggers complement one another resulting in emotional stress, which in turn activates a mental illness (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2857376/). Each person is unique in how they will react to psychological stressors. What may break one person may have little to no affect on another. Psychological stressors, which can trigger mental illness, are as follows: emotional, physical or sexual abuse, loss of a significant loved one, neglect and being unable to relate to others.

Severe psychological trauma such as abuse can wreak havoc on a person’s life. Children are much more susceptible to psychological harm from traumatic events than that of adults. Once again, the reaction to the trauma will vary based on the person as well as the individual’s age. The impact of these events is influenced by several factors: the type of event, the length of exposure the individual had to the event, and the extent to which the individual and their family/friends were personally affected by the event. Human-caused disasters, such as a tumultuous childhood have more of an impact in children than that of natural disaster (Feldman, P., & Papalia, D. (2012). Experience human development.(12 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. p. 347).

Neglect is a type of maltreatment related to the failure to provide needed, age-appropriate care, supervision and protection. It is not to be confused with abuse, which, in this context, is defined as any action that intentionally harms or injures another person (medical-dictionary.com). Neglect most often happens during childhood by the parents or caretakers. Often times, parents who are guilty of neglect were also neglected as children. The long-term effects of neglect are reduced physical, emotional, and mental health in a child and throughout adulthood. Feldman, P., & Papalia, D. (2012). Experience human development.(12 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. p. 347

The inability to relate to others is also known as emotional detachment. Emotional detachment makes it difficult for an individual to empathize with others or to share their own feelings. An emotional detached person may to try to rationalize or apply logic to a situation to which there is no logical explanation. These individuals tend to stress the importance of their independence and may be a bit neurotic. Often times, the inability to relate to others stems from a traumatic event.

Environmental Causes of Mental Disorders
The term “environment” is very loosely defined when it comes to mental illness. Unlike biological and psychological causes, environmental causes are stressors that individuals deal with in every day life. These stressors range from financial issues to having low self-esteem. Environmental causes are more psychologically based thus making them more closely related. Events that evoke feelings of loss or damage are most likely to cause a mental disorder to develop in an individual http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1940091/. Environmental factors include but are not limited a dysfunctional home life, poor relationships with others, loved ones abusing drugs, not meeting social expectations, low self-esteem and poverty.

How an individual interacts with others as well as the quality of relationships can greatly increase or decrease a person’s quality of living. Continuous fighting with friends and family can all lead to an increased risk of developing a mental illness. A dysfunctional family may include disobedience, child neglect and/or abuse which occurs regularly. These types of families are often a product of an unhealthy co-dependent relationship on the part of the head of the household (usually to drugs).

Losing a loved one, especially at an early age can have lasting effects on an individual. The individual may feel fear, guilt, anger or loneliness. This can drive a person into solitude and depression. They may turn to alcohol and drugs to cope with their feelings.

Divorce is also another factor that can take a toll on both children and adults alike. Divorcees may suffer from emotional adjustment problems due to a loss of intimacy and social connections. Newer statistics show that the negative effects of divorce have been greatly exaggerated. The effects of divorce in children are based on three main factors: the quality of their relationship with each of their parents before the separation, the intensity and duration of the parental conflict, and the parents' ability to focus on the needs of children in their divorce.

Social expectations and esteem How individuals view themselves ultimately determines who they are, their abilities and what they can be. Having both too low of self-esteem as well as to high of one can be detrimental to an individual’s mental health A person’s self-esteem plays a much larger role in their overall happiness and quality of life. Poor self-esteem whether it be too high or too love can result in aggression, violence, self-deprecating behavior, anxiety, and other mental disorders.

Not fitting in with the masses can result in bullying and other types of emotional abuse. Bullying can result in depression, feelings of anger, loneliness.

Poverty (poor nutrition and drug abuse)

Studies show that there is a direct correlation between poverty and mental illness. The lower the socioeconomic status of an individual the higher the risk of mental illness. Impoverished people are actually two to three times more likely to develop mental illness than those of a higher economic class. These families must deal with economic stressors like unemployment and lack of affordable housing, which can lead to mental health disorders. A person’s socioeconomic class outlines the psychosocial, environmental, behavioral, and biomedical risk factors that are associated with mental health (“Mental Illness and Poverty: A Fact Sheet” www.fccmh.org)

Substance abuse

According to findings there is a strong association between poverty, and substance abuse. Substance abuse only perpetuates a continuous cycle. It can make it extremely difficult for individuals to find and keep jobs. As stated earlier, both financial problems and substance abuse can cause mental illnesses to develop.

Biological Factors
Biological factors consist of anything physical that can cause adverse effects on a person’s mental health. This includes genetics, prenatal damage, infections, exposure to toxins, brain defects or injuries, chemical imbalances, poor nutrition and substance abuse. Many professionals believe that the sole cause of mental disorders is based upon the biology of the brain and the nervous system. Genetics are thought to account for 40% of a person’s susceptibility to mental disorders while psychological and environmental factors account for the other 60%. Research has shown that many of these conditions are polygenic meaning there are multiple defective genes rather than only one that are responsible for a disorder. Even if a person inherits these abnormal genes it does not prove that the person will develop the illness. This is where environmental and psychological factors come into play. Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s are both examples of hereditary mental disorders.

Any damage that occurs to a fetus while still in its mother’s womb is considered prenatal damage. If the pregnant mother uses drugs or alcohol or is exposed to illnesses or infections then mental disorders can develop in the fetus. According to research, certain conditions, such as autism result from a disruption of early fetal brain progression.

Research shows that infections and exposure to toxins such as HIV and streptococcus cause dementia and OCD respectively. The infections or toxins trigger a change in the brain chemistry, which can develop into a mental disorder.

Any damage to the brain can cause a mental disorder. The brain is the control system for the nervous system and the rest of the body. Without it the body cannot function properly.

Chemical imbalances can be viewed as disorders of the brain circuits. If there is damage to the neurotransmitters in the brain then mental disorders can develop. Mental disorders possibly associated with chemical imbalances are depression and schizophrenia.

Substance abuse, especially long-term abuse can cause multiple mental disorders. Alcoholism is linked to depression while abuse of amphetamines and LSD can leave a person feeling paranoid and anxious.