What defines a mental illness as severe?
In 1999, the Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health reported that “a subpopulation of 5.4 percent of adults is considered to have a ‘serious’ mental illness (SMI)” and “about half of those with SMI (or 2.6 percent of all adults) were identified as being even more seriously affected, that is, by having ‘severe and persistent’ mental illness (SPMI).” The report further specified that SPMI “includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, other severe forms of depression, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.” What is schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a neurological brain disorder that affects 2.2 million Americans today, or approximately one percent of the population. Schizophrenia can affect anyone at any age, but most cases develop between ages 16 and 30. Schizophrenia interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions, and relate to others. Specific abnormalities that can be noted in individuals with schizophrenia include delusions and hallucin
