Serious mental illness or severe mental illness (SMI) is characterized as any mental health condition that seriously impairs anywhere from one to several significant life activities including day to day functioning. Common diagnoses associated with SMI include bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders (i.e. schizophrenia), post-traumatic stress disorder, and major depressive disorder. People experiencing SMI experience symptoms that can prevent them from having successful experiences that contribute to a good quality of life, due to social, physical, and psychological limitations of their illnesses. In 2017, there was a 4.5% prevalence rate of U.S. adults diagnosed with SMI, the highest percentage being the young adult population. In 2017, 66.7% of the 4.5% diagnosed adults sought out mental health care services. From Wikipedia
