Stress and mental illness

Suicide is a significant public health issue and a major cause of death in Korea. Almost 95% of all persons who commit or attempt suicide have a diagnosed mental disorder. Depressive disorders account for 80% of this figure; schizophrenia accounts for 10%. Stress has an impact on the onset and course of psychiatric disorders. The stress response is monitored by measuring the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Numerous studies have identified changes in HPA axis activity and glucocorticoid action in psychiatric disorders. Various stressful life experiences (prenatal stress, adverse early life experiences, ongoing or recent psychosocial stress) are important environmental factors enhancing the sensitivity of some individuals to stress in adulthood. In this review, we introduce the association between stress and psychiatric disorders.