Mental retardation is not considered a mental illness.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Cannot determine

Answer: (B)

The statement is false. Intellectual disability (historically called mental retardation) is a developmental disability, not a mental illness. It involves significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior that begin during the developmental period. Mental illnesses, on the other hand, are disorders of mood, thought, or behavior (such as depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia) that cause distress or impairment.

A person can have both an intellectual disability and a mental illness at the same time, but they are separate conditions. Also, the term mental retardation is outdated; the preferred terminology today is intellectual disability.