Mental illness is estimated to affect up to a third of the British population and is one of the leading causes of illness around the world. BBC News Online gives an overview of mental health problems, the social stigma often attached to them and the politics of mental illness.
The politics of mental health
The UK Government is proposing controversial changes to mental health law and legislation on people with severe personality disorder which campaigners believe may infringe patients' civil rights.
Third Way for mental health
The government has set out its plans for reforming mental health care in the UK, but can they deal with the problems of staff shortages, bed shortages and drug rationing which campaigners say characterise the "Cinderella" service?
Community care: A potted history
The closure of Victorian mental asylums and the treatment of patients in the community is the biggest shift in mental health policy of recent times. BBC News Online looks at how it took place.
A-Z of mental health
Mental illness covers a wide variety of disorders, from schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer's, anxiety and self-harm to eating disorders. Find out about some of the main illnesses and how they can be treated.
What causes mental illness?
Doctors have argued for years over the cause of mental illness. Some believe society plays a key role, but in recent years, there has been a growing concentration on the role of genes. BBC News Online looks at the debate.
Children and mental health
It is estimated that up to one in five children suffer from a mental illlness. But funding for children's services makes up only a fraction of the mental health budget. BBC News Online looks at the politics and practice of children's mental health.
Discriminating against the mentally ill
Although mental illness has emerged from the Victorian asylums, it still attracts a lot of stigma. BBC News Online looks at the different kinds of discrimination faced by the mentally ill, including in the workplace, in the media and in housing.
Suicide: The number one priority
The government has made reducing suicide one of its key public health targets. Suicide is falling among most groups, but has been rising fast among young men. There is also concern at the number of detainees taking their own lives.
Thursday, 4 November, 1999, 13:29 GMT
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