eng Science and Education Publishing Research in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2333-438X 2023-12-10 11 2 43 48 10.12691/rpbs-11-2-2 RPBS20231122 article Nehasvita Veeramachaneni 1 Sujana Veeramachaneni 2 Leela Talluri 3 Venkataramana Kandi ramana20021@gmail.com 4 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), The Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad, India Associate Diploma Coordinator & Science HOD, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), The Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad, India Manager, Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Hetero group, Hyderabad, India Department of Microbiology, Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar, India Mental illness is probably the most important silent killer affecting the psychological and overall well-being of humans throughout the world. Humans have been unsuccessful in controlling the adverse effects of this disease which affects all age groups irrespective of their gender. A majority of mental illnesses go undiagnosed due to a lack of knowledge among people. Additionally, this disorder is influenced by social stigma that restricts the diagnosis and treatment-seeking ability of people. Treatment of mental disorders involves psychotherapies, brain stimulation methods, and drugs. Medication, although is available to treat mental illnesses, could be responsible for side effects. Therefore, alternative therapeutic interventions like medicinal plant extracts have been explored in the treatment of mental disorders. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the causes, types, and role of medicinal plants in the treatment and management of mental illnesses. https://pubs.sciepub.com/rpbs/11/2/2/rpbs-11-2-2.pdf mental illness mental disorder knowledge treatment medication medicinal plants