Do we know what causes mental illnesses, or how best to treat them?

Mental illnesses take various forms: debilitating sadness in depression; uncontrollable repetitive actions in obsessive-compulsive disorder; disordered thinking in schizophrenia; or manic highs and deep lows in bipolar disorder. Despite their wide variance in symptoms and still largely unknown causes, all of these conditions have one thing in common: a disruption in brain circuitry. In depression, for instance, scientists have traced aberrant brain pathways using brain-imaging scans, and have found imbalances in brain chemicals like serotonin or norepinephrine. Similar kinds of neural dysfunction are believed to underlie many mental disorders.

What makes any one person susceptible to mental illness is still an open question. Genetic and environ mental influences - "nature" and "nurture" - interact in complex ways in each of us. It is possible that many genes are involved, each conferring a degree of risk and environmental triggers may set the disease process in motion in genetically susceptible individuals.

Despite gaps in knowledge, effective treatments are available for most mental illnesses. Seeking help from a qualified medical professional - preferably one who specializes in particular illness in question - is critical to getting the best care. When administered by experienced professionals, psycho logical therapies and medications can alleviate debilitating symptoms in numerous cases and make it possible for people to cope with their condition and regain a level of "normal" functioning.