As reflected by the World Health Organization in the year 2016, one in four people suffers or will suffer during their lifetime from some kind of mental disorder .

The human psyche is continually subjected to great tensions, environments and problematic situations that facilitate the emergence of states of great suffering or great difficulty or even inability to deal with the source of its discomfort. That is why the figure of the psychologist will continue to be increasingly necessary worldwide, as a support figure with which to achieve the necessary improvement or treatment.

There are many reasons that can lead a person to require psychological help, but some of them are more common than others. That is why throughout this article we will reflect several of the most common reasons for psychological consultation , as well as their characteristics and symptoms.

The most common reasons for psychological consultation

Below we leave you with a total of sixteen of the most common reasons for a client or patient to go to a psychologist (some of them focused or specialized in certain areas). These range from mental disorders to complex situations that are difficult to manage but which do not necessarily include the existence of a disorder, such as those linked to interpersonal relations .

There are also other problems such as personality disorders, but although many are relatively prevalent they are not usually a reason for consultation.

1. Adaptive disorder

One of the most common reasons for consultation in the clinic, and that in reality more than a disorder, refers to a response of great anxiety, stress or emotional distress greater than expected and affecting various levels of functionality in the daily life of the subject which derive from a clearly identifiable stressful situation or event, which is the origin of the alteration and which occurs within three months (usually before the month) after the event in question.

If the person manages to resolve the situation, the discomfort will disappear within six months.

This is the case, for example, for people who have lost their jobs, who are suffering from work-related stress, who have emigrated and do not yet feel the new home as such, who have been separated, who are suffering from mobbing or bullying, who have been evicted or who have been diagnosed with an illness.

These are painful situations in which they generate a severe and/or continuous stress which surpasses the subject and to which it is not known how to face, although generally they do not require a psychological treatment beyond support and advice (unless it is complicated and some other type of alteration is developed).

2. Depression

Major depression is the most prevalent mental disorder worldwide (along with anxiety related disorders).

Depression is understood as a disorder in which for at least two weeks, continuously for most of the day of most days (and a context in which the self, the environment and the future are perceived in a negative way), a series of symptoms have been experienced, among which the presence of a sad mood and the anhedonia or loss of capacity to feel pleasure in things that were previously satisfactory stand out (and at least one of them is necessarily present).

Other common symptoms are sleep problems (both insomnia and hypersomnia), loss of appetite and/or libido, difficulty concentrating, hopelessness, passivity, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, isolation and thoughts of death.

3. Anxiety: Panic Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder

As we have just indicated, anxiety is, together with depression (and generally in a comorbid way), one of the most frequent mental problems or disorders. There are many existing anxiety disorders, some of which are common, such as panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder.

The first of these is characterised by the presence of recurrent episodes of panic attacks in which physiological symptoms such as sweating, palpitations, chest pain, intestinal discomfort or the sensation of suffocation appear, often together with the fear of dying from these symptoms, of going mad or losing control and together with the sensation of de-realisation and depersonalisation (having the feeling that the environment or the person himself seems unreal).

These attacks and the associated discomfort cause anxiety and panic at the idea of their repetition or possible consequences , which can lead to avoidance behaviours that in turn greatly limit the subject’s life.

The generalized anxiety disorder implies the existence during at least six months of constant anxiety and worries that are difficult to control due to different causes (which may vary and refer to aspects that rationally the subject himself may consider irrelevant) and which generate fatigue, irritability, problems concentrating , tension and/or sleep problems. That is why finding a psychologist who can treat these kinds of problems is important.

4. Phobias

Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder that is extremely common in our society, and which is based on the existence of a high level of fear, dread and anxiety (at a level that the subject himself usually recognizes as irrational or disproportionate) when faced with the proximity of some type of stimulus or situation, which is even capable of causing panic attacks or anxiety crises.

Due to the fear or dread generated, the subject will perform behaviours and actions that allow him/her to avoid the phobic stimulus or will remain in its presence but experiencing extreme anxiety.

This definition immediately brings to mind specific phobias, such as blood/injection/damage phobia, flight phobia, phobia of certain animals (especially those associated with spiders, insects and dogs), height phobia or claustrophobia. In addition to these and other specific phobias we can find other very common cases: social phobia or agoraphobia .

5. Neurodevelopmental disorders

Although when we talk about a consultation with a psychologist we usually think of one that has adults or adolescents as patients, the truth is that it is also very common (and in fact it is one of the types of population about which a consultation is made in the least amount of time, given the concern that most parents have for their children) . And although it is possible to find different mental disorders in children, some of the most frequently consulted are the so-called neurodevelopmental disorders.

One of the most common reasons for consultation within neurodevelopmental disorders is specific learning disorder (including, for example, dyslexia or dyscalculia), along with attention deficit disorder with (or without) hyperactivity or ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (including former Asperger’s).

Communication or motor disorders (such as tics or Tourette’s disorder) are also common.

6. Addictions and substance use disorders

An addiction is defined as the habitual performance/consumption of some type of behaviour which generates physical or psychological dependence as the organism acquires tolerance to it and over which it loses control, generating the attempt to cease said behaviour a state of great discomfort, desire for consumption/ performance of the behaviour and anguish (together with possible physiological symptoms that, depending on the case, can even generate death) and continuing despite knowing that it has consequences on the health or functionality of the person.

In this sense, some of the most common addictions are those linked to substances, among which the dependence on alcohol, cannabis (despite popular belief that its habitual use can generate dependence), cocaine or heroin stand out. In addition to the addiction itself, abusive consumption (without having yet reached addiction) or other related disorders (for example, induced psychosis) may be treated.

Returning to the addictions themselves, there are also behavioral addictions such as compulsive buying, addiction to new technologies (including mobile phones, video games), sex addiction or even socio-affective addictions.

7. Post-traumatic stress disorder

Another reason for consultation is what is known as post-traumatic stress disorder, an alteration in which as a consequence of having lived or witnessed a traumatic experience (sexual abuse, murder attempts, warlike conflicts…) the person who has suffered or witnessed it experiences re-experimentations of the event in intrusive and persistent thoughts and memories, nightmares, physiological reactions, a feeling of shortening of the future, hyper-alertness or hyper-activation, loss of interest, possible feelings of guilt, possible dissociations such as psychogenic amnesia, depersonalization or de-realization, anguish and restlessness or avoidance behaviors among others.

8. Cognitive impairment and dementia

Although in this case we are talking about a reason for consultation that is usually limited mainly to neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology, not being so common in other types of psychological consultation, it is necessary to mention the importance of cognitive impairment and especially dementias within psychology and psychiatry.

This type of condition tends to cause great suffering both to those who suffer from it and to their families and carers , given that those affected lose their mental faculties over time as their nervous system undergoes progressive neuronal degeneration.

The work usually focuses on rehabilitation and maintenance of autonomy and function for as long as possible, the search for compensatory strategies and cognitive stimulation in order to preserve impaired functions as much as possible.

9. Managing emotions, self-esteem and personal interaction problems

It is more common than one might think that the reason for consulting a psychologist is not a mental disorder per se, but rather the existence of difficulties in aspects such as the management of emotions (highlighting anger or sadness), the search for ways to increase the level of self-esteem (for example, in people who have suffered continuous harassment at school or work) or difficulties in establishing stable, deep and consistent personal relationships without there having to be (although in some cases there may be) a disorder behind it.

All this can be approached from different perspectives and techniques.

10. Couple and family conflicts

Another relatively frequent reason for psychological consultation occurs to specialists in family and couples therapy. The problems treated in this sense are usually based on conflicts, lack of communication and dysfunctional dynamics and roles in relationships , not requiring the existence of any type of disorder (although in some cases the cause of conflict may be an organic disease or a mental disorder).

11. Sexual dysfunctions

Although it is generally something that until recently has been taboo and many people who suffer some kind of sexual dysfunction live it with shame (something that in many cases leads to not consulting), the normalization of sexuality and the search for a satisfactory sexuality makes that little by little this type of problem is being consulted more and more by professionals.

Although in some cases we are dealing with a problem of organic cause, often these problems have either a cause or an important psychological component (such as anxiety). Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation stand out as the most frequent problems in men, while hypoactive sexual desire is the most prevalent in women (followed by female orgasmic disorder).

12. Eating disorders

Especially linked to the culture of the cult of the body and the canons of beauty of our time and society, eating disorders are a reality that in recent times has increased dramatically in prevalence .

It is one of the few types of mental disorder that can cause the death of those who suffer from it without direct action to that end, some of them being considered very dangerous.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa stand out as the most common, especially in pubescent and young women (although it can appear in childhood, in maturity, and although it usually occurs to a lesser extent also in men). In addition, there is also binge eating disorder or avoidance/restriction of food intake.

13. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by the presence of obsessive thoughts , which are recurrent, egodistonic, and intrusive thoughts that are experienced with great anxiety and guilt by the person who suffers from it and often involve performing rituals in order to lower the level of anxiety, rituals called compulsions which, although they initially slightly reduce anxiety, end up reinforcing the appearance of intrusive thoughts, forming a continuous cycle between obsession and compulsion which occupies the subject’s time to a great extent and generates great suffering.

14. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders

Another type of patient who is regularly seen by psychology and psychiatry professionals is people with psychotic disorders .

Among them, schizophrenia stands out, probably one of the best known mental disorders and the most prevalent among those that are part of the psychotic spectrum (with a prevalence of approximately 1% of the general population).

This disorder is characterized by the presence for at least six months of symptoms such as hallucinations (usually auditory) and delusions, disorganized language, agitation or derailments in language, catatonia , poverty of thought or alogia, abulia or apathy, with at least one of the first three being present.

15. Bipolar disorder

Another of the most relevant affective disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by the presence of one or more manic episodes (characterized by extreme euphoria, irritability and hostility, which can lead to fights and conflicts, thoughts and even delusions of grandeur, decreased ability to judge, sleep disturbances and intake, engaging in risky and highly impulsive behavior, among others) that may be alone or followed/preceded by depressive episodes in bipolar disorder type 1 or at least one hypomanic episode (less intense, severe and longer lasting than manic but sharing most of its symptoms) followed or preceded by at least one depressive episode in bipolar disorder type 2.

This disorder causes great suffering to the sufferer, and usually requires mainly good pharmacological treatment together with psychological treatment when the subject is stable.

16. Health Psychology: Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue and Other Medical Problems

Although the figure of the psychologist is generally associated with that of the mental disorder, the truth is that many people who suffer from illnesses of a medical nature can benefit from psychological therapy, such as a type of therapy that can contribute to their improvement (although it never replaces medical treatment) either through the treatment of emotional or cognitive alterations that may arise after the diagnosis or through techniques that can favour an improvement or a better prognosis.

This ranges from fields such as psycho-oncology to other applications in people with heart, metabolic (including thyroid problems or diabetes), lung or respiratory problems (asthma, for example).

One of the most common examples is that of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease whose main symptom is widespread musculoskeletal pain, which although until a few years ago was not recognized (it was even doubted that it was a real disease) is highly common.

It is common for it to occur in conjunction with chronic fatigue, a syndrome characterized by the presence of continuous fatigue or tiredness , sleep problems and various pains.

Many times these conditions cause depression, anxiety and distress, avoidance behaviour, isolation and social and occupational difficulties in a secondary way, which can benefit from psychological treatment (in addition to trying to approach pain in a different and more positive way), and it is common for affected persons to go to some type of psychology professional.

Bibliographic references:

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Fifth edition. DSM-V. Masson, Barcelona.
  • Muñoz, A.M. and Novos, M.M. (2012). Reasons for consultation and explanatory clinical hypotheses. Psychological therapy, 30 (1).