Risk factors for mental illness

Risk factors that can compromise mental and emotional health:
Poor connection or attachment to your primary caretaker early in life. Feeling lonely, isolated, unsafe, confused, or abused as an infant or young child.
Traumas or serious losses, especially early in life. Death of a parent or other traumatic experiences such as war or hospitalization.
Learned helplessness. Negative experiences that lead to a belief that you’re helpless and that you have little control over the situations in your life.
Illness, especially when it’s chronic, disabling, or isolates you from others.
Side effects of medications, especially in older people who may be taking a variety of medications.
Substance abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse can both cause mental health problems and make preexisting mental or emotional problems worse.