Which theory attributes mental illness to psychological factors or the environment?

• A. Somatogenic
• B. Psychogenic
• C. Cognitive
• D. Behavioral

Answer: (B)

This item tests how we classify the origin of mental illness—whether it comes from physical/biological factors or from psychological factors and the environment. The term that fits “mental illness caused by psychological factors or the environment” is psychogenic. It contrasts with somatogenic, which points to physical or biological causes for mental health problems. Cognitive and behavioral describe particular approaches to understanding how thinking patterns or learned actions relate to behavior, rather than naming the broader origin of illness itself. So psychogenic is the best fit because it specifically denotes psychological or environmental origins behind mental disorders.