How does the gaze of a person with mental illness differ from that of a healthy individual?

　　The eyes of individuals with mental illness differ from those of mentally healthy individuals, typically exhibiting poor focus, lack of emotional expression, weak interactive responses, instability, and abnormal luster. Detailed analysis is as follows:

　　1. Poor focus: In healthy individuals, eye gaze naturally focuses according to conversation content or objects of interest, maintaining stable fixation on a person or object. In contrast, individuals with mental illness often have unfocused, scattered eyes that struggle to concentrate attention. Even during active communication, their gaze may wander aimlessly, unable to maintain sustained focus on the speaker or target object, as if attending to something nonexistent.

　　2. Lack of emotional expression: Normal eye contact conveys emotions such as joy, anger, sadness, or happiness—for example, bright, smiling eyes when happy, or dull eyes when sad. Patients with mental illness often show little emotional variation in their eyes. Regardless of whether they face joyful or sorrowful situations, their gaze may remain flat and indifferent, making it difficult for others to perceive internal emotional changes, as though emotional expression is "blocked."

　　3. Weak interactive response: During conversations, mentally healthy individuals naturally use eye contact to respond—such as synchronizing eye movement with nodding to express agreement, or showing attentive eye behavior when being questioned. Patients with mental illness rarely respond interactively through their eyes. Even when someone initiates direct eye contact, they may show no reaction at all, or their eye response may be disconnected from the conversation, preventing effective interaction.

　　4. Poor stability: In healthy individuals, eye behavior remains relatively stable, without sudden unexplained changes. In patients with mental illness, eye appearance may abruptly change—for instance, shifting from a scattered gaze to an intense, fixed stare, or suddenly displaying fear or hypervigilance without warning. These changes are abrupt and often unrelated to the surrounding environment.

　　5. Abnormal luster: Healthy eyes usually have a natural shine, appearing lively and spirited. In contrast, the eyes of individuals with mental illness often lack luster, appearing dull and lifeless, as if covered by a "haze." Some patients during acute episodes may exhibit unusually bright eyes that appear unnaturally cold or devoid of warmth, giving an overall unnatural impression.

　　If someone close to you consistently displays these abnormal eye behaviors, especially along with other behavioral or emotional disturbances, it is important to encourage them to seek evaluation at a psychiatric or mental health clinic. Professional assessment can help clarify the situation and prevent delayed intervention due to neglect.