Psychology Research Paper: People with Mental Illnesses Virginia Wolf was a British novelist. Virginia suffered from mood disorder and her mood symptoms redated their other conditions. The nature and course of her mood and behavior symptoms were consistent with a diagnosis of an independently existing affective illness. Her family histories of depression, manic-depressive illness, and suicide coupled with their own symptoms were sufficiently strong to warrant their inclusion. Virginia most commonly suffered from bipolar depression with feverish writing periods and gloomy weeks.