Mental illnesses are serious medical illnesses. They cannot be overcome through "will power" and are not related to a person's "character" or intelligence. Mental illness falls along a continuum of severity. Even though mental illness is widespread i... This page provides answers to questions about serious mental illness and the resources available to family members and consumers. The TABS on this page provide answers to questions about community and government resources, hospitalization, homelessne... One in four adults—approximately 57.7 million Americans— experience a mental health disorder in a given year. One in 17 lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder1 and about one in 10 childr...