Psychosis is a medical word used to describe mental health problems that stop a person from thinking

clearly, making out reality from their imagination and acting in a normal way.

There are two main symptoms of psychosis which are hallucinations and delusions. The combination of the

two often have a severe disruption on perception, thinking, emotion and behaviour.

Essentially, Psychosis is not a condition itself, it’s usually triggered by conditions such as schizophrenia,

bipolar disorder, brain tumour, Parkinson’s disease and drug or alcohol misuse. The length of time that

someone will experience a psychotic episode, will depend on underlying causes.

The words ‘Out my mind’ in ‘3:16AM’ suggest to us that Jhene has ‘lost control of her mental faculties’ and is

beginning to go insane.

Insomnia is difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for a long enough amount of time. The main symptoms of insomnia are:

• Difficulty falling asleep• Waking up during the night• Waking up early in the morning• Feeling irritable and tired throughout the day

The most common causes of insomnia are stress and anxiety which can be a result of

conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, asthma and drug or alcohol

misuse.

The idea of insomnia is present in ‘3:16AM’ because Jhene is ‘Wide awake’ as stated in

the first verse which indicates that she cannot sleep.

OCD is a mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. Obsessions are usually enjoyable but, in OCD they

tends to be unpleasant and frightening.

The symptoms of OCD range from mild to severe and will vary for each individual. However, most

people with the condition fall into a set pattern of thought and behaviour. As illustrated on the diagram to the left, the four main steps are:

• Obsession• Anxiety• Compulsion• Temporary Relief

In reference to ‘3:16AM’, Jhene keeps on having thoughts of ‘flying’ which could be linked to suicide.

Many people believe depression is not an illness and that it is merely a sign of

weakness however it is not. Depression is described as feeling sad or unhappy

persistently for a few weeks or months.

Symptoms of depression can be both emotional and physical. Emotional

symptoms are things such as:• Feelings of sadness and hopelessness• Losing interest in thing you used to enjoy

Whereas physical symptoms are:• Feeling constantly tired• Sleeping badly• Having no appetite or sex drive• Experiencing various aches and pains

I feel that the atmosphere of ‘3:16AM’ was created as a result of depression.