Can animals suffer from mental illnesses? Many times it is thought that mental illnesses only occur in humans but there is recent evidence that animals may also be a victim of these diseases. The definition of a mental illness is a condition which causes serious disorder in a person’s behavior or thinking. However I will be explaining if these diseases can occur in animals by explaining the history, importance, impact on animals, and mental illnesses in captive vs wild animals. Finally I will be discussing some of the mental illnesses that are thought to be shown in animals. Knowing the the history of a topic can often help to better understand and find out more about it. It has been said that humans are the only victims of mental illnesses …show more content…
These behaviors can include pacing, cage biting, rocking, swaying, head bobbing, over grooming, and self harm. Some of these behaviors if repeated enough or in the event that they occur for a long period of time without being cared for may even lead to the death of the animal. Most of these behaviors are similar to behaviors caused by mental illnesses in humans. In humans there are many causes for mental illnesses like psychological trauma such as physical abuse, neglect, or death of a parent or companion. Other causes may be stress, loss of freedom, or major life changes. Many of these same causes of mental illnesses in humans can also be causes for mental illnesses in animals. However most of these causes are most easily seen in animals that are held in captivity. According to leviathan project about forty percent of elephants in zoos show some behaviors that are often similar to behaviors shown by people with mental illnesses or diseases. It was also said that many primates often died within the first twenty months of being held in captivity due to some form of mental illness. In conclusion behaviors that are often signs of a mental illness in an animal can have a major impact on on the animal and may sometimes even lead to the death of the