- Published on
What Is Serious Mental Illness (SMI)?
- Authors
- Name
- Eugene Boyle, Ph.D.
Direct answer
Serious mental illness (SMI) generally refers to mental disorders that substantially interfere with major life activities. Exact definitions vary by study, payer, and public system; in psychiatric rehabilitation and motherhood research, SMI denotes conditions with significant functional impact—not a single diagnosis code.
Why the definition matters
When writers say “women with SMI,” they are usually pointing to a functional category: illness severe enough to disrupt roles such as work, relationships, housing stability, or parenting. That framing is why (Mizock et al., 2019) could interview both mothers and non-mothers—the research question was the relationship to the motherhood role, not only current custody status.
How this site uses “SMI”
- Aligns with the language in Mizock, Merg, Boyle, and Kompaniez-Dunigan (2019).
- Stays definitional—no diagnostic advice, no individualized clinical claims.
- Links to the Motherhood and SMI topic hub, FAQ, and glossary.
Related reading
Mizock, L., Merg, A. L., Boyle, E. J., & Kompaniez-Dunigan, E. (2019). Motherhood reimagined: Experiences of women with SMI surrounding parenting. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 42(2), 105–112. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000339