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Mental Illness and Psychiatric Disability:
What's the Difference?
There is often confusion regarding the
use of the terms "mental illness" and "psychiatric
disability". Disabilities are
the consequences of an illness, that
is, a person may have difficulty in being
able to carry out tasks and roles as a result of having an illness.
The terms "illness" and "disability" relate
to the World Health Organisation's
International classification of
Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps
(Geneva 1980, reprinted 1989) which
established a system of classification
to identify consequences of disease
and illness. (WHO is in the process of
reviewing and rewriting this classification
system.)
With regard to mental illness:
- Impairment refers to the loss or
effect of the illness on psychological,
physiological or anatomical systems,
for instance, experiencing
hallucinations, thought disorder or depression
- Disability refers to the restriction, lack
or loss of the ability (as a result of
the illness and impairment) to perform
an activity or task, for instance, the
tasks of everyday living, tasks at work,
study or activities in the community
- Handicap refers to social and
environmental factors such as
discrimination and poverty which
disadvantage a person with a
psychiatric disability.
Psychiatric disabilities are significantly
different from many other disabilities
in that they can fluctuate and are a
result of an intermittent and episodic
process. As well, not all people who have a mental illness will develop a
psychiatric disability.
Psychiatric disabilities
are significantly
different from many
other disabilities in
that they can fluctuate
and are a result of
an intermittent and
episodic process.
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Psychiatric Disability