Can chess give serious mental problems even if you are not a world champion? Have chess given you any?

No.

4 out of 5 voices in my head say yes, Blc.

It can definitly cause your grades to drop. for example, since i've joined chess.com, i've gone from all A's to a's and b's. ooops. oh well, it's my senior year, second semester. the only classes i'm really worried about are my 2 college classes that i'm taking.

Yes. And No.

A saxophone.

Chess is a high quality intellectual hobby and I think the opposite of OP: it may help you keep your sanity in tough times.

Tell that to Steinitz and Rubinstein.

Playing chess exercises all your positive capacities ( patience,forgiveness,intelligence)...reading these threads gives serious mental problems!

Can chess send you to a mental hospital?

Yes. Chess.com is a mental ward. And here you are!

Yes , chess can send you to a mental hospital. I go along once a week as a volunteer to play Kaynight....

        One of the new benifits of V3, for paying members only, will provide free transportation to the hospital of your choice

Only diamond members. Other paying members get a free ride to the nearest medical facitilty... or 3 miles,  whichever is closer.

Of course chess drives you mental.  What other game has a piece that makes an L shape when it moves.

      hahahahahahahahah  That's right. All free members here pay cab fare to "Joe's Free Clinic"

heehee

      I sapose a Rubick's Cube can send you to the hospital.

Having mental problems and being in a mental institution is two different things. I manage to stay "on the loose" as one may express it by faking normal behaviour. It's just like what an actor does but the inverse, since actor is a boring person that plays an interesting out-of-the-ordinary person and what you want to do to stay "on the loose" is the exact opposite.

Steinitz went crazy, Morphy went crazy, Rubinstein went crazy, Fischer...many think so.

Chess taxes the mental faculties and nervous system severely and can indeed make those who are already psychologically weak to go over the edge.

Ive seen countless examples with my own eyes.