Mental illness generally occurs in people who are:

• A. Of high intellect
• B. Of low intellect
• C. Of all intellectual abilities
• D. Of average intelligence

Answer: (C)

Mental illness affects people across the entire range of intellectual ability. Intelligence reflects cognitive skills, but it doesn’t determine mental health. These disorders come from a mix of biology, environment, and life experiences, and their occurrence isn’t limited to any one level of IQ. So you can see mental illness in individuals with high intellect, average intellect, or lower intellect alike. The idea that it would only affect one group is a stereotype, not how these conditions actually unfold.