Mental illness is an illness like any other. Mental illness refers to a group of disorders which cause severe and persistent disturbances in a person’s ability to think, feel and relate. Untreated, they can result in a greatly lowered ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life. Mental illness can affect individuals of any age – children, adolescents, adults, and elders. Mental illness can occur in any family, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion or socioeconomic boundaries.