Glossary of Terms
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
Abuse refers to the treatment of a person that is harmful either physically or emotionally (mentally). Abuse can be physical (hitting, battering, depriving of food), as well as verbal (saying hurtful things, humiliating, or otherwise offending human dignity and making the victim feel worthless).
Access is the extent to which an individual who needs care and services is able to receive them. Access is more than having insurance coverage or the ability to pay for services. It is also determined by the availability of services, acceptability of services, cultural appropriateness, location, hours of operation, transportation needs, and other considerations.
Accessible Services are services that are affordable, located nearby, and open as needed (including evenings and weekends). In addition, services are accessible when staff are sensitive to, and incorporate, individual and cultural values, and are sensitive to barriers that may prevent a person from seeking help. For example, an adolescent may be more willing to attend a support group meeting in a church or club near home than to travel to a mental health center. An accessible service can handle consumer demands without placing people on a long waiting list.
Accommodations are adjustments within professional or educational settings that allow an otherwise qualified employee or student with a disability to perform the tasks required. Accommodations that have been found to be effective for people with intellectual disabilities include changes in schedules, instructions, job tasks, or other procedures and ways of interacting.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a permanent brain injury that results in impairment to an individual's physical, cognitive (ability to think and reason), behavioral or emotional functioning. The injury may be caused by accident, infection, disease, overuse of alcohol or drugs, stroke, brain tumor or other medical illnesses. ABI is not a mental illness, and requires different specialist skills from those offered by mental health services. However, people with acquired brain injury can also suffer from a mental illness.
Activity Therapy is a form of therapy that includes art, dance, music, recreational and occupational therapies, and psychodrama.
Acute Mental Illness is characterized by significant and distressing symptoms of a mental illness requiring immediate treatment. This may be the person's first experience, a repeat episode, or the worsening of symptoms of an ongoing mental illness. The onset is sudden or rapid, and the symptoms usually respond to treatment.
Acute Treatment is intensive treatment provided to the person who is experiencing acute mental illness. Depending on the person's needs, acute treatment can be offered in the person's own environment or in a psychiatric inpatient service. Depending on the severity of symptoms, the distress involved for the person and the risk of harm to self or others, acute treatment may be provided in the community by a Crisis Assessment and Treatment (CAT) service, by a community mental health centre, or in a psychiatric inpatient service.
Adaptive Behavior is the effectiveness or extent to which an individual is able to meet the personal independence and social skills needed for everyday living. Instruments such as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) and the Adaptive Behavior Scale are usually used in the assessment of an individual's adaptive behavior.
Addiction is a condition in which the body requires a drug/substance in order to function without physical and psychological reactions to its absence. It can also include behavioral addictions such as gambling.
Adult Mental Health Services is the network of public mental health services providing assessment, treatment, and support for people aged 16-65 with severe mental illness or other severely disabling psychiatric disorders. Services include community mental health centers, crisis assessment and treatment services, mobile support and treatment services, psychiatric inpatient services, and non-government psychiatric disability support services.
Advocacy,* in the context of disability, means speaking up, writing, and/or acting for a person with a disability, or it may mean people with disabilities speaking up/advocating for themselves. The objective of advocacy in this context is to promote and defend the rights and welfare of people with disabilities, as well as empower people with disabilities, enabling them to have greater choices and opportunities.
Advocate is a person who speaks up and acts to promote and defend specific issues, for example, the rights and welfare of people with disabilities.
Affirmative Action refers to governmental policy of promoting inclusion and participation of traditionally disadvantaged or marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, in education, employment, and other areas. The policy can be implemented through quotas (required number of percentage of employees from a target group), preferential treatment (when out of two candidates with equal qualification preference is given to the member of the disadvantaged group), points system (when members from disadvantaged communities get extra points that add to the total), and other mechanisms.
Aged Persons' Mental Health Services are specialized public mental health services for people with severe mental illness who are 65 years of age and older. Services include psychogeriatric assessment and treatment services, and psychiatric inpatient services.
Agitation is a state of restlessness, often accompanied by repeated activity, arising from a person's anxiety or frustration. For example, the person may be unable to stand or sit still and may be noticeably upset. It is important to note that a side effect of antipsychotic medication is physical restlessness, usually first noticed as shaking in the arms and legs, which can mimic agitated behavior.
Aggression refers to behaviors that can cause psychological or physical harm to another individual.
Agoraphobia is an extreme fear of being in public places or open spaces.
Alternative Therapy is an alternative approach to mental health care that emphasizes the interrelationship between mind, body, and spirit. Although some alternative approaches have a long history, they are not always medically recognized and many remain controversial.
Alzheimer's Disease is a form of dementia characterized by the gradual deterioration of brain tissues and brain function. The effects progress from mild forgetfulness and confusion to a permanent inability to perform routine life tasks, for example, making a cup of coffee or putting on one's clothes.
Amnesia is a failure of memory caused by physical injury, disease, drug use, or psychological trauma.
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which an individual weighs less than 85 percent of her or his expected weight but still controls eating because of a self-perception of obesity. The disorder is characterized by unusual eating habits such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating them in very small amounts, weighing food, and counting the calories of all foods. Individuals with anorexia nervosa may also exercise excessively, in order to lose weight.
Antidepressant Medication is the main form of medication used for the treatment of depression. There is some concern about side effects and their long-term use, effectiveness and safety.
Antipsychotic Medication is the main form of medication for the treatment of psychoses, such as schizophrenia. These drugs reduce delusions and hallucinations, and have a calming effect in some people and are not effective in others. As with all medicines, antipsychotic medications can have significant negative side effects. Since the number of children being treated with antipsychotic drugs has increased, there is growing concern about their long-term safety.
Anxiety Disorder is a mental disorder characterized by feelings of unease, tension, and distress, with an exaggerated fear of possible danger or misfortune. Most people experience anxiety or nervousness at some point. However, for a person with an anxiety disorder, his or her feelings can disrupt daily life, for example, leading to inability to keep a job or use public transport. Examples of anxiety disorders include phobias, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Aphasia is a communication disorder caused by damage to sections of the brain that are responsible for language. Most often, it occurs abruptly as the result of a stroke or acquired brain injury; however, it may also develop gradually, for instance in the case of a brain tumor. Aphasia impairs the ability to express and understand language (i.e. reading and writing). It may occur in conjunction with speech disorders.
Apraxia is a motor speech disorder that renders speech unintelligible. Children with apraxia of speech have great difficulty planning and producing the precise, highly refined, and specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw, and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech. Apraxia of speech is sometimes called verbal apraxia, developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal dyspraxia.
Arachnophobia is an intense fear of spiders.
Area Mental Health Service is a network of public mental health services managed by a general health service which operates within a defined geographical area and provides clinical services.
Art Therapy refers to treatment that engages people in creative activities, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, and other arts, under the supervision of a therapist.
Asperger Syndrome belongs to the Autistic Spectrum Disorders (also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders). It is a lifelong condition. Individuals with Asperger Disorder or Syndrome have difficulties in three main areas: social communication, social interaction and social imagination. This includes difficulties in expressing themselves emotionally and socially, and an inability to pick up on cues from other people. There are often other characteristics in people with Asperger Syndrome, such as the love of routine, special or obsessive interests, and a dislike of touch or other sensory difficulties.
Assertive Community Treatment is a multi-disciplinary clinical team approach of providing 24-hour intensive community services in the individual's natural setting that help individuals with serious mental illness live in the community.
Assessment is a professional review of an individual and in the case of a child, family needs, that is done when services are first sought from a professional caregiver. The assessment of the child includes a review of physical and mental health, intelligence, school performance, family situation, and behavior in the community. The assessment identifies the strengths of the child and family. Together, the caregiver and family decide what kind of treatment and supports, if any, are needed.
Assistive Technology refers to special devices and the process used in selecting, locating, and using them, which enable people with various disabilities to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing. Such devices include touch screens, talking mats, etc. Thus, assistive technology promotes greater independence and creates more opportunities for people with disabilities.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition and the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder among children and adolescents. Children and adolescents with ADHD have difficulty concentrating and controlling their behavior in school and social settings. They also tend to be accident-prone. Children and adolescents with ADHD usually have normal or above-normal intelligence.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that appears in early childhood, usually before age 3. Its features include communication problems, difficulty understanding and developing social relationships, unusual and repetitive behaviors, and unusual sensory responses. While there is no known cure, the effects of autism can be lessened significantly with a range of interventions, especially if it is detected early.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization and communication. The most commonly known are Autism, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or PDD-NOS). The disorders are four times more common in boys than in girls. Parents or carers may note symptoms already in infancy. Typically, the onset of the ASD occurs prior to 3 years of age.
Behavior refers to the system of actions by which an individual reacts, adjusts, and interacts with his or her environment.
Behavioral Disorders are characterized by repeated disruptive behaviors that differ significantly from socially accepted norms. They can create personal and social disruption, violate the personal or property rights of others, and clash with the basic expectations of society. A diagnosis of a behavioral disorder is likely when symptoms continue for six months or longer.
Binge-Eating Disorder is an eating disorder characterized by frequent episodes of compulsive overeating, but unlike bulimia, the eating is not followed by purging.
Biofeedback is learning to control muscle tension and "involuntary" body functioning, such as heart rate and skin temperature; it can be a path to mastering one's fears. It is used in combination with, or as an alternative to, medication to treat disorders such as anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias.
Biomedical Treatment is any treatment involving medicine, such as drug therapy, surgery, or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Medication alone, or in combination with psychotherapy, has proven to be an effective treatment for a number of emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders. The kind of biomedical treatment a psychiatrist prescribes varies with the disorder and the individual being treated.
Bipolar Affective/Mood Disorder is a mental illness in which significant symptoms involve extreme mood swings characterized by marked depressive and/or manic episodes. Bipolar disorder tends to run in families. This disorder typically begins in the mid-twenties and continues throughout life. Without treatment, people with bipolar disorder often go through devastating life events, such as marital breakups, job loss, substance abuse, and even suicide.
Birth Defects refer to diseases or disorders that are present at birth. They may be the result of genetic or chromosomal abnormalities, the intrauterine (uterus) environment, mother's infection, or inadequate nutrition (including alcohol consumption) during pregnancy.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) involves an excessive concern about an imagined or exaggerated physical flaw. People with this disorder have a distorted view of themselves. As a result, they may become so obsessed with their appearance that work and relationships suffer. BDD has also been linked to obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Borderline Personality Disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior which may include psychotic episodes, repeated emotional crises, fear of abandonment, and a series of suicidal threats or acts of self-harm. The instability often affects family and work life, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self-identity.
Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by episodes of excessive eating followed by purging. People who have bulimia will eat large amounts of food and almost immediately make themselves vomit or use laxatives or diuretics (water pills) to get rid of the food in their bodies. This behavior often is referred to as the "binge/purge" cycle. Like people with anorexia, people with bulimia have a distorted view of their bodies and an unreasonable fear of gaining weight.
Bullying* refers to abusive treatment directed at persons deemed weak or vulnerable. It is common among children and adolescents where it is often directed at children with a disability or other trait that makes them different from others. Bullying can be verbal or physical, and can have devastating consequences for the abused child's psyche.
Caregiver is a person who has special training to help people with mental health problems or intellectual disabilities. Examples include social workers, teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and mentors.
Care Plan is developed for people who have a condition lasting for more than 6 months and require several health care providers working with them. A care plan puts down on paper who is providing which services to meet the client's needs. Goals are set and action is decided within specified times. Some of the benefits of having a care plan, besides having an essential checklist to ensure continuity of care, include increasing client awareness of services needed and why, and prompting clients to take greater responsibility of their care needs.
Carer is a person who provides regular ongoing support to an individual with a mental health problem or disability. The carer is usually unpaid and unfunded.
Case/Crisis/Short-Term Advocacy* refers to help that a person with a mental health problem or intellectual disability gets from an advocate when there is a problem.
Case Management is a process that aims to ensure the mental health client receives the best possible treatment and support through the identification of needs, planning individual goals and strategies, and linking to appropriate services to meet these needs.
Case Manager is a mental health professional, employed by a mental health service, who has the primary responsibility for case management of a particular client. The client's case manager may be a social worker, psychiatric nurse, consultant psychiatrist, occupational therapist, medical officer, or psychologist.
Cerebral Palsy is a term used to describe a group of conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It results from damage to the developing brain (the damage can occur anywhere from early pregnancy to about the age of 2). It interferes with transmission of messages between the brain and body. The effects vary widely from individual to individual. They may include: muscle tightness or spasm; involuntary movement; difficulty with walking, writing, and speaking; abnormal perception and sensation. The brain damage that causes cerebral palsy may also lead to other conditions such as seizures, learning disabilities, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. The effects on the body may change depending on a person's age, fitness level or health.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are specialist public mental health assessment and treatment services provided for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age. They are provided by community-based, multi-disciplinary services and psychiatric inpatient services.
Child Protective Services are designed to safeguard a child when abuse, neglect, or abandonment is suspected, or when there is no family to take care of the child. Examples of help delivered in the home include financial assistance, vocational training, homemaker services, and day-care. Ideally, the goal is to keep the child with the family whenever possible. However, if in-home supports are insufficient, the child may be removed from the home on a temporary or permanent basis.
Children and Adolescents at Risk for Mental Health Problems are those who face certain factors in their lives or environments that may lead to developing mental health problems. Such factors may include physical abuse, emotional abuse or neglect, harmful stress, discrimination, poverty, loss of a loved one, frequent relocation, alcohol and other drug use, trauma, and exposure to violence.
Chromosomal Abnormalities are problems that exist in the genetic structure of a person's chromosomes. Also referred to as chromosome disorders, these abnormalities can appear in different ways. Most chromosome abnormalities involve an extra copy of a particular chromosome. Sometimes chromosomes might be broken or arranged in the wrong order. Gene abnormalities, though rare, also occur, especially if the parent also has that gene abnormality.
Chromosomes are thread-like structures composed of DNA and other proteins. They are present in every cell of the body and carry the genetic information needed for that cell to develop. Genes, which are units of information, are "encoded" in the DNA. Human cells normally have 46 chromosomes which can be arranged in 23 pairs. Of these 23, 22 are alike in males and females; these are called the "autosomes." The 23rd pair are the sex chromosomes ('X' and 'Y').
Citizen Advocacy* for a person with an intellectual disability refers to a situation where the person is matched with a volunteer, or advocate, and the relationship lasts for a long period of time.
Client is a person who uses mental health or disability services.
Clinical Ecology is a field of psychology that relates disorders such as anxiety and depression to environmental irritants and sources of trauma.
Clinical Psychologist is a professional with a doctoral degree in psychology who specializes in therapy.
Clinical Social Worker is a health professional trained in client-centered advocacy who assists clients with information, referral, and direct help in dealing with government agencies. As a result, social workers often serve as case managers to help people "navigate the system." Clinical social workers cannot write prescriptions.
Cognitive Development refers to the development of processes of knowing, including imagining, perceiving, reasoning, problem solving, and abstract thinking.
Cognitive Therapy aims to identify and correct distorted thinking patterns that can lead to feelings and behaviors that are negative or self-destructive. The goal is to replace such thinking with a more balanced view that, in turn, leads to more fulfilling and productive behavior.
Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy is a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapies. This approach helps people with mental health problems change negative thought patterns, beliefs, and behaviors, so they can manage symptoms and enjoy more productive and less stressful lives.
Collateral Services include contacts with significant others involved in the client's/patient's life for the purpose of discussing the client's/patient's emotional or behavioral problems, or the collateral's relationship with the client/patient.
Community-Based Services are any services that are provided in a community, rather than in an inpatient setting. Community-based services facilitate the process of community integration for people with intellectual disabilities, by advocating for the closure of institutions and providing the social support services that people require in order to live independently and to their fullest potential. Specific services can include advocacy and support for self-advocacy and self-determination, independent living skills training, in-home assistance with daily tasks, health training and counseling, and supported employment.
Community Mental Health Centre (CMHC) is the first point of contact during business hours for access to area mental health services. Mental health professionals employed by the CMHC provide initial screening and consultancy for people that have requested public mental health services, to guide them to the appropriate service. They also provide assessment, treatment, continuing care, and support for clients with severe mental illness. CMHCs employ a range of mental health professionals to provide clinical services, including social workers, psychiatric nurses, consultant psychiatrists, occupational therapists, medical officers, and psychologists.
Comorbidity is the experience of more than one disorder at the same time.
Competence refers to the ability to make informed decisions and take responsibility for one's actions. Often, people with intellectual disabilities and/or mental health problems are considered to be ignorant of the consequences of their own actions, and are deemed incompetent. This takes their decision-making, as well as other rights and personhood away from them, placing them in the care of guardians.
Comprehensive Mental Health Service provides a range of services that meet the client's complex treatment needs (medical, psychological, and social), including community-based services and inpatient care.
Conduct/Behavior Disorders are characterized by repeated behaviors that violate the personal or property rights of others and clash with the basic expectations of society. Conduct disorders are also known as "disruptive behavior disorders" because of their impact on children and their families, neighbors, and schools. A diagnosis of conduct disorder is likely when symptoms continue for six months or longer.
Consultant Psychiatrist is a medical practitioner who has undertaken specialized training and registration, and is qualified to diagnose and treat mental illness. Some have further specialist training in areas such as child and adolescent psychiatry, the psychiatry of old age, or forensic psychiatry. Psychiatrists work in psychiatric inpatient services, community mental health services, or in private practice.
Consumer is any individual who does, or could, receive health care or services, including mental health care. There are other more specialized terms, such as beneficiary, client, customer, eligible member, recipient, or patient.
Consumer-Run Services are mental health treatment or support services provided by current or former mental health consumers. These services include social clubs, peer-support groups, and other peer-organized or consumer-run activities.
Continuity of Care refers to provision of services to a client in a way that ensures continued care when there is a change of service or case manager. An example for mental health cases is when a client leaves a psychiatric inpatient service and his/her care is transferred to the community mental health centre, or when the client moves to a new area.
Continuum of Care refers to the progression and range of services that a child moves through. More recently, it has come to mean comprehensive services (see system of care) which are services developed on the premise that the needs of children, adolescents, and their families can be met within their home, school, and community environments.
Coordinated Services involve child-serving organizations (dedicated to mental health, education, juvenile justice, and child welfare) that talk with the family and agree upon a plan of care that meets the child's needs. Coordination is done through case management.
Coping is the process of dealing with internal or external demands that are perceived to be threatening or overwhelming.
Couples Counseling and Family Therapy involves discussions and problem-solving sessions facilitated by a therapist, sometimes with the couple or entire family group, sometimes with individuals. Such therapy can help couples and family members improve their understanding of, and the way they respond to, one another. This type of therapy can resolve patterns of behavior that otherwise might lead to more severe mental illness. Family therapy can help educate about the nature of mental disorders and teach skills to cope better with the effects of having a family member with a mental illness, for example how to deal with feelings of anger or guilt.
Crisis Assessment and Treatment Services (CATS) provide urgent assessment and short-term intensive treatment throughout the community to people in crisis due to a mental illness. This includes assessing the most effective and least restrictive client service options and screening all inpatient bed admissions. CATS provide treatment and support for people whose acute mental illness can be managed in the community with intensive outreach support as an alternative to hospitalization. They also respond to people who present an immediate risk of suicide. CATS operate 24 hours, seven days a week.
Crisis Residential Treatment Services are short-term, round-the-clock help provided in a nonhospital setting during a crisis.
Chronic Stress is a continuous state of agitation in which an individual perceives demands as greater than the inner and outer resources available for dealing with them.
Cultural Competence refers to help that is sensitive and responsive to cultural differences. Caregivers are culturally competent when they are aware of the impact of culture on mental health. Thus, caregivers should possess skills to help provide services that respond appropriately to a person's unique cultural characteristic, including race and ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or physical disability. They should also try to adapt their skills to fit a family's values and customs.
Day Treatment includes special education, counseling, parent training, vocational training, skill building, crisis intervention, and recreational therapy. It lasts at least four hours a day. Day treatment programs work in conjunction with mental health, recreation, and education organizations, and may even be provided by them.
Deinstitutionalization* is the change from a segregated, institutional model of care for people with mental health problems or intellectual disabilities, to one where care is provided in the community. Within mental health services, this has meant a move away from isolated stand-alone psychiatric hospitals to psychiatric treatment being provided by area mental health services, including community mental health services and psychiatric inpatient units of general hospitals. Over the last 30 years, this process has gradually evolved in many countries.
Delayed Intellectual Development is a term used to describe slow learning in a young child (usually below the age of 5). This term is often used when professionals are not sure if the slowness is temporary or permanent. Many professionals will not use the term 'intellectual disability' unless the child has been formally assessed. Usually, this type of assessment is done by a psychologist.
Delusions are psychotic symptoms of particular types of mental illness, such as schizophrenia. They are firmly held beliefs that are not held by other members of the person's social group. Persons who experience delusions may offer bizarre explanations for episodes or circumstances.
Dementia is a group of brain disorders that occur as a result of brain tissue deterioration, most commonly in old age, although sometimes it could develop earlier. Dementia's main feature is a decline in mental functioning; for example, it becomes hard for a person to recall recent and past events, to learn, and to communicate. The disorder can also affect a person's mood and personality, leading to behavior considered out of character for him/her. Eventually it becomes difficult for a person to take care of himself or herself.
Denial refers to an unwillingness to face problems on either a conscious or subconscious level, acting as if the problem did not exist at all. It is a defensive mechanism to protect oneself from pain, suffering, or recognition of an unbearable reality, such a loss of a loved one, addiction, and other issues.
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by intense feelings of sadness and despair that can range from mild to severe and persist beyond a few weeks. Mild depression is an emotional state that many people experience during their life. Severe depression is a serious mental illness producing symptoms such as slowness of movement, loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, sleep and appetite changes, and agitation. People experiencing severe depression will have intense feelings of worthlessness and may experience delusions. For example, persons may believe they are the cause of the world's problems. Severe depression can lead to suicidal ideas and actual suicidal actions.
Developmental Age refers to the chronological age at which most children show a particular level of physical or mental development.
Developmental Delay means that a child is developing more slowly than other children of the same age in one or more areas of development. Area of development is a term used by professionals to talk about different types of learning. Some major areas of development are communication (talking and listening), movement (gross and fine motor movement), feeding and self-care, thinking, social, emotional, and sensory development. If a child is developing more slowly than other children of the same age in all areas of development, then professionals define it as a global developmental delay.
Developmental Psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with interaction between physical and psychological processes and with the stages of growth, from conception and throughout the entire life span.
Diagnosis is a medical term meaning the identification of symptoms that are consistent with a particular illness or disorder. Specific tests and a medical examination can sometimes prove that physical illness is present. Diagnosis of a mental illness, however, is based on interviewing the client and others who know him or her, and on clinical observations.
Diagnostic Evaluation aims 1) to establish a psychiatric diagnosis, 2) to collect data sufficient to permit a case formulation, and 3) to develop an initial treatment plan, (with particular consideration of any immediate interventions that may be needed, or, if the evaluation is a reassessment of a patient in long-term treatment, to revise the plan of treatment in accordance with new perspectives).
Disability Benefits (also referred to as "disability pensions") are a form of financial support provided by the government to individuals to help them meet the extra costs of living with a disability or long-term illness. Individuals will only receive such benefits if they can show that their disability falls within the definition set out in the relevant national legislation.
Discharge is the formal termination of service, generally when treatment has been completed or through administrative authority.
Discrimination* refers to the prejudicial treatment of a person or a group of people based on certain characteristics, such as race, disability, language, or religion.
Dissociative Disorder is a personality disorder marked by a disturbance in the integration of identity, memory, or consciousness. One of the examples is the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a dissociative mental disorder in which two or more distinct personalities exist within the same individual; it is formerly known as multiple personality disorder.
Down Syndrome is a condition caused by an extra set of genes on chromosome 21 (so-called trisomy 21). It results in some degree of intellectual disability and other developmental delays. Some of the physical traits that are common, but not always present, are epicanthal folds over the eyes, flattened bridge of the nose, a single palmar crease and decreased muscle tone. Heart abnormalities are present in about one-third of the people with Down syndrome. There is also a higher incidence of eye disorders.
DNA (abbreviation of Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is a nucleic acid that carries genetic information and transmits hereditary patterns. It is one of two types of molecule that encodes genetic information. (The other is RNA).
Drop-in Center is a social club offering peer support and a flexible schedule of activities. It may operate during the day, evenings and/or weekends.
Drug-Induced Psychosis is a mental illness involving distorted or imaginary sensations caused by the single or repeated use of a drug (such as marijuana or amphetamines). The symptoms of a drug-induced psychosis usually appear quickly and can last for up to four weeks until the effects of the drug wear off.
Dually Diagnosed refers to a person who has both an alcohol or drug problem, and an emotional/psychiatric problem.
Duty Worker is a mental health professional at a community mental health centre who is the first contact for a client requesting mental health services. The duty worker undertakes an initial screening, and may then arrange an intake assessment of the client's current problem(s) and guide the client to the appropriate public mental health service or other community service.
Dyslexia, a type of learning disability, is a reading disorder caused by the brain's inability to process graphic symbols, or written material, properly. It is characterized by a reading level that is significantly lower than average compared to other people of similar age and intelligence. Thus, it greatly affects a person's ability to learn. People with dyslexia benefit from modified teaching methods and educational environment. Other factors for success are early diagnosis of dyslexia, supportive family and friends, and a strong self-image.
Early Intervention* refers to services and other support provided to infants and young children and their families where the children have, or are at risk of developing, a condition or special needs that may adversely affect their development. The purpose of early intervention is to recognize warning signs and lessen the effects of the child's condition, maximizing the child's development and inclusion. Early intervention can be remedial or preventive in nature. The types of services range from identification, such as, hospital or school screening and referral services, and diagnostic and direct intervention programs. Services and support can be provided in a range of settings, such as center-based, home-based, hospital-based, or a combination. Early intervention may begin at any time between birth and school age, and is offered by a range of personnel including special education teachers, physical and occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, social workers, medical officers, nurses, audiologists, and others, depending on the needs of the child.
Early Psychosis Intervention is an early diagnosis and prompt treatment program, which can prevent psychosis from developing into a full-blown psychiatric disability. Comprehensive, individualized treatment strategies can incorporate the use of low-dose antipsychotic medications, education, and psychosocial interventions, and can promote full recovery from early psychosis. Benefits of early intervention include reduced disruption of relationships and activities, less likely hospitalization, fewer relapses, diminished risk of suicide, improved capacity to maintain self-identity and self-esteem, and faster and more complete recovery.
Easy To Read* refers to materials written for audiences who have difficulty reading or understanding information.
Eating Disorders* refer to a variety of disturbed eating behaviors, all associated with misusing food for emotional reasons. They range from chronic dieting to compulsive overeating and often involve behaviors ranging from bingeing and purging to self-starvation. Eating disorders are very common mental health problems that have severe and direct effects on the physical health and well-being of the sufferer.
The majority of individuals with eating disorders are women, although men can also have eating disorders.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a highly controversial technique that uses low voltage electrical stimulation of the brain to treat some forms of major depression, acute mania, and some forms of schizophrenia.
Emergency Care refers to a planned program to provide mental health or psychiatric care in emergency situations, with staff specifically assigned for this purpose. It includes crisis intervention, which enables the individual, family members, and friends to cope with the emergency while maintaining the individual's status as a functioning community member to the greatest extent possible.
Emergency and Crisis Services are a group of services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help during a mental health emergency. Examples include telephone crisis hotlines, suicide hotlines, crisis counseling, crisis residential treatment services, crisis outreach teams, and crisis respite care.
Emotional Intelligence is a type of intelligence defined as the abilities to perceive, appraise, and express emotions accurately and appropriately, to use emotions to facilitate thinking, to understand and analyze emotions, to use emotional knowledge effectively, and to regulate one's emotions to promote both emotional and intellectual growth. Emotional intelligence counterpart of IQ (intelligence quotient) is called EQ.
Employment/Vocational Rehabilitation Services refers to a broad range of services designed to help develop skills necessary for participation in job-related activities.
Environmental Health addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health. It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments. This definition excludes behavior not related to environment, as well as behavior related to the social and cultural environment, and genetics.
Facilitated Communication (FC) refers to special assistance for people with communicative impairments where a facilitator interprets signals, gestures, and other nonverbal clues of their clients, and communicates them to others. FC has given rise to controversy based on mistakes made by facilitators interpreting the messages by people with intellectual disabilities. In some other instances, individuals with diagnosed profound intellectual disabilities have managed to obtain college degrees with support of facilitators who claimed to have interpreted their answers.
Family-Centered Services are designed to help meet the specific needs of each individual child and family, rather than expecting children and families to fit into services that do not meet their particular needs.
Family-Like Arrangements refer to a broad range of living arrangements that simulate a family situation. This includes foster care and small group homes.
Family Support Services are designed to keep the family together, while coping with mental health problems that affect them. These services may include consumer information workshops, in-home supports, family therapy, parenting training, crisis services, and respite care.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describes a continuum of permanent birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, which includes, but is not limited to, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). There are a number of other subtypes, including Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD), and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE).
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) can develop when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol throughout pregnancy in substantial quantities. The FAS in newborns is characterized by small size, low birth weight, multiple deformities of organs, other disabilities, and high mortality rate. Children who survive tend to have severe cognitive, behavioral, and social problems.
Foster Care refers to provision of care in a living arrangement in a household other than that of the client's/patient's family.
Fragile X Syndrome, or Martin-Bell syndrome, is a genetic syndrome which results in a spectrum (from none to severe) of characteristic physical, intellectual, emotional, and behavioral features.
Free Association is the therapeutic method in which a patient gives a running account of thoughts, wishes, physical sensations, and mental images as they occur.
Genes are the biological units of heredity; discrete sections of chromosomes responsible for transmission of traits.
Genetics is the study of the inheritance of physical and psychological traits from ancestors.
Gestalt Therapy focuses on ways to unite mind and body to make a person whole. It is based on Gestalt Psychology, a school of psychology that maintains that psychological phenomena can be understood only when viewed as organized, structured wholes, not when broken down into primitive perceptual elements.
Group Homes are small, residential facilities located within a community that can serve children or adults with disabilities. These homes usually have six or fewer occupants, and are staffed 24 hours a day by trained caregivers. Most group homes are standard, single-family houses adapted to meet the needs of the residents. Although most group homes provide long-term care, some residents eventually acquire the necessary skills to move to more independent living situations.
Group Therapy is a form of therapy involving small groups (usually 4 to 12 people) who have similar problems and who meet regularly with a therapist. The therapist uses the emotional interactions of the group's members to help them get relief from distress, and possibly modify their behavior.
Guardianship is a system where the court appoints an individual or program (a "guardian") to exercise certain legal rights in the interest of an individual who is found by the court to be incapacitated (a "ward"). Although the precise requirements and procedures vary from country to country, generally it is necessary for the court to find that the individual is substantially unable to provide for his or her physical, emotional, medical, and residential needs. Intellectual disability is not, by itself, a sufficient reason for placing him or her under guardianship. A person may be deemed "incapacitated" if he or she is not able to make "informed decisions" with regard to these needs. Because guardianship involves a serious deprivation of liberty and dignity, the law in some countries requires that guardianship be imposed only when other less restrictive alternatives have proven ineffective. In some countries, a guardian's authority may be limited to those areas of decision-making where the ward is evidently incapacitated (so-called "partial guardianship"). The primary responsibility of the guardian is to provide consent for issues such as medical treatment and living situation. A guardian of the estate is responsible for managing some or all of the property and/or income of the ward.
Hallucinations refer to a psychotic symptom characterized by distorted or imaginary sensations of sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch that are experienced by the person as if they were real. For example, a person may see something that is not there or hear the voice of somebody who is not present.
Harassment refers to the violation of the dignity of a person on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, gender, or sexual orientation. In a legal sense, harassment refers to behaviors that are found threatening or disturbing. An environment of harassment is considered to be intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, and offensive. This kind of conduct is generally prohibited by the laws of the European Union and its member states.
Home-Based Services (or in-home supports) refer to help provided in a family's home either for a defined period of time or for as long as it takes to deal with a mental health problem. Examples include parent training, counseling, and working with family members to identify, find, or provide other necessary help. The goal is to prevent the child or adult with intellectual disabilities or mental health problem from being placed outside of the home.
Homeless is a person who lives on the street or in a shelter for the homeless. Often, homeless people have mental health problems which have developed as a result of losing home, family, or livelihood.
Home Schooling refers to a form of education where parents teach their children an academic curriculum at home instead of sending them to a public or private school. In some countries, it is a part of the educational system that involves regular visits by a teacher to the home of the child. For example, in the case of children with intellectual disabilities, a special education teacher provides instruction to the child at home.
Human Rights* refer to the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled by virtue of being human. Examples of rights and freedoms, which are often thought of as human rights, include: civil and political rights, such as the right to life and personal liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural, and economic rights, including the right to work, the right to food, and the right to education.
Humanistic Perspective is a psychological model that emphasizes an individual's phenomenal world, and inherent capacity for making rational choices and developing to her or his maximum potential.
Huntington Disease is a genetic disease that affects a person's mental and physical abilities. These effects are caused by the loss of neurons (nerve cells) in the brain. Symptoms include mania, depression, extreme irritability, psychosis, restlessness, wiggling, turning movements, muscle stiffness, slow movement, and trouble with memory and other mental processes. There is no cure for Huntington's disease, but medication can control symptoms such as mood swings and chorea.
Inclusive Education refers to a philosophy of education that recognizes the right to education for all people, and addresses the educational needs of all learners in a non-threatening, supportive learning environment, including learners who were formally disadvantaged and excluded from education for various reasons. The practical implementation varies from context to context, depending on human and material resources, the state of development of the educational system and other factors, but inclusive education generally occurs in mainstream schools.
Independent Living* is a philosophy and a global movement that advocates for the right of people with disabilities to live in a community, and their right to self-determination. Independent living means a person with a disability is receiving appropriate support so that she or he can live in the community, live with dignity, and make personal life decisions to the best of her/his ability. Support for the right of all people to live as independently as possible is also integral to the process of deinstitutionalization of people with intellectual disabilities. The independent living movement has helped change the way in which many people view disability and the capabilities and rights of people living with disabilities.
Independent Living Services support a person with a disability to live on his or her own. These services may include therapeutic group homes, supervised apartment living, and job placement. Services teach youth how to handle financial, medical, housing, transportation, and other daily living needs, as well as how to get along with others.
Independent Living Skills Training is designed to help increase self-reliance and self-confidence in all aspects of living, from cooking, shopping, and managing finances, to community outreach and education, advocacy, community organizing, and civil rights.
Independent Living Team is a group of people that work to support disabled people to live independently at home and in the community. They provide a service to support the learning and development of the skills needed to be as independent as possible in everyday life. The teams can include: social and community support workers, physio- and occupational therapists, community care officers, and administration.
Individualized Services are designed to meet the unique needs of each child and family. Services are individualized when the caregivers pay attention to the needs and strengths, ages, and stages of development of the child and individual family members.
Individual Therapy is tailored for a patient/client and is administered one-on-one.
Individual Service Plan (ISP) is based on a comprehensive assessment, outlining the client's goals and strategies for recovery, including the mental health services and general community services the client needs. The ISP is developed and regularly reviewed by the case manager, the client and, with the client's permission, their family, carer and other workers involved.
Information and Referral Services are designed to impart information on the availability of appropriate clinical resources and services, and access to them for clients/users.
Informed Consent*, in the context of mental health, means that the client provides permission for a specific treatment based on his or her understanding of the nature of the procedure, the risks involved, the consequences of withholding permission, and their knowledge of available alternative treatments.
In-Home Family Services are mental health treatment and support services offered to children and adolescents with mental illness and to their family members in their own homes.
Inpatient Hospitalization is mental health treatment provided in a hospital setting 24 hours a day. Inpatient hospitalization provides: (1) short-term treatment in cases where a person is in crisis and possibly presents a danger to oneself or others, and (2) diagnosis and treatment when the person cannot be evaluated or treated appropriately in an outpatient setting.
Insight refers to the level of understanding which a person suffering from a mental illness has with regards to the nature of his or her illness, its causation, and the possible treatments that are available.
Insight Therapy is a technique by which the therapist guides a patient towards discovering insights between present symptoms and past origins.
Insomnia is the chronic inability to sleep normally. Symptoms include difficulty in falling asleep, frequent waking, inability to return to sleep, and early-morning awakening. It often accompanies other disturbances, for example anxiety or stress.
Institution refers to a residential facility where persons with disabilities or mental health problems are kept full-time, often without their consent or without a prospect of ever leaving it.
Institutionalization refers to the practice of segregating individuals with disabilities or mental health problems by placing them in long-term residential facilities, often without the individuals' consent. Many people with intellectual disabilities remain trapped in institutions that deny them the right to live as autonomous and integrated members of their communities. In long-stay institutions, residents are rarely provided opportunities to voice their desires and have their wishes heard. Nearly every life decision, from daily choices of what food to eat and what clothes to wear, to long-term planning around how to spend time and what types of support or treatment to receive, is made at the institutional level, irrespective of the abilities and preferences of individual residents. In many parts of Europe such institutions are situated in remote areas, where access to them is difficult, and contact with the outside world is minimal or non-existent.
Intake/Screening refers to services designed to briefly assess the type and degree of a client's/patient's mental health condition to determine whether services are needed and to link him/her to the most appropriate and available service. Services may include interviews, psychological testing, physical examinations including speech/hearing, and laboratory studies.
Intake Assessment is the process when a person first becomes a client of a mental health service. The person will have an initial psychiatric assessment in order to determine the nature of his or her psychiatric problem, treatment needs, and the most appropriate service required.
Integration of Services refers to coordination and linkage between services to ensure a client receives continuity of care.
Intellectual Disability* (also described as ‘mental disability' or ‘learning difficulty') refers to a permanent condition characterized by significantly lower than average intellectual ability, resulting in significant limitations in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. It is usually present from birth or develops before the age of 18. A person with intellectual disability usually requires support in several areas of life activity: self-care, receptive and expressive communication, and economic self-sufficiency. People with intellectual disabilities generally need a combination of special, interdisciplinary or generic services, individualized support, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or of extended duration, and are individually planned and coordinated. Intellectual disability is not a mental illness and requires very different specialist skills from those offered by mental health services. However, people with intellectual disabilities can also suffer from a mental illness.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is an index derived from standardized tests of intelligence; originally obtained by dividing an individual's mental age by chronological age and then multiplying by 100; now directly computed as an IQ test score.
Intensive Case Management refers to intensive community services for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness that are designed to improve planning for their service needs. Services include outreach, evaluation and support.
Intensive Residential Services are intensively staffed housing arrangements for clients/patients, and may include medical, psychosocial, vocational, recreational, or other support services.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy is an approach that focuses on the patient's current life and relationships within the family, social, and work environments. Conducted through one-on-one conversations, its goal is to identify and resolve problems with insight, as well as build on strengths.
Intervention is a planned action taken by a mental health worker which occurs in the context of treatment. Examples are counseling, intensive support, referral, or prescribing medication.
Involuntary Admission is admission, without the person's consent, to a psychiatric inpatient service for the treatment of a severe mental illness.
Job Burnout refers to the syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, often experienced by workers in high-stress jobs.
Judgment is the process by which people form opinions, reach conclusions, and make critical evaluations of events and people based on available material; also, the product of that mental activity.
Juvenile Justice* is a branch of criminal justice system that deals with young offenders. It operates according to the premise that youth are fundamentally different from adults, both in terms of level of responsibility and potential for rehabilitation. The treatment and successful reintegration of youth into society are the primary goals of the juvenile justice system, along with overall public safety.
Kleptomania is a disorder characterized by an inability or great difficulty in resisting the impulse to steal. Kleptomania was first officially recognized in the United States as a mental disorder in the 1960s in the State of California v. Douglas Jones case.
Learning is a process of acquiring knowledge and experience that results in a relatively permanent change in behavior or behavioral potential.
Learning Difficulty (also referred to as ‘mental or intellectual disability') refers to a permanent condition characterized by significantly lower than average intellectual ability, resulting in significant limitations in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. It is usually present from birth or develops before the age of 18. People with learning difficulties generally need a combination of special, interdisciplinary or generic services, individualized support, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or of extended duration.
Least Restrictive Environment/Setting is a broad principle that children and families who are clients of mental health and disability services should be treated in an environment and manner that is least restrictive of their human rights, particularly their liberty; in an environment which respects each client's individual worth, dignity, and privacy; as normalized as possible, and which enhances their personal autonomy. The least restrictive environment or alternative in the context of mental health and intellectual disability means providing services in the community-based settings; avoiding hospitalization and institutionalization whenever possible; and allowing children to live with their own families where parents to continue exercising their parental rights. The least restrictive setting in the context of education refers to inclusive education (in the same classroom), rather than segregating children with disabilities in separate classrooms or schools.
Legal Advocacy* are legal services provided to ensure the protection and maintenance of a client's/patient's rights.
Length of Stay is the duration of stay and care for a person with mental health problems in a hospital or inpatient facility.
Mainstreaming in schools is an educational method that includes many different kinds of learners in the same classroom, instead of separating students according to their learning abilities. In a mainstreamed classroom, all children learn together in the same classroom. Mainstreaming is also commonly known as "inclusion."
Mainstreaming refers to management of public mental health services by the general health system, for example, by public hospitals, rather than specialized institutions.
Manic Episode is a state of elevated mood that is out of keeping with a person's normal behavior and may vary from cheerfulness to almost uncontrollable excitement or irritation. It typically results in over-activity, rapid speech, decreased need for sleep, being easily distracted, and a loss of social inhibitions.
Medical Sedation refers to prescribing and administering medication that has a tranquilizing, calming effect.
Medication also referred to as medicine, is usually a drug or any other substance used to prevent or cure disease or to relieve pain, anxiety, or any form of perceived discomfort. In addition, medication is often used to mean the act of administering medicines or drugs.
Medication Therapy refers to prescription, administration, assessment of drug effectiveness, and monitoring of potential side effects of psychotropic medications.
Meditation is a form of consciousness alteration designed to enhance self-knowledge and well-being through reduced self-awareness.
Mental Age is the age at which a child is performing intellectually, expressed in terms of the average age at which normal children achieve a particular score.
Mental Health* is a broad concept that refers to how people think, feel, and look at themselves and their lives; how they relate to other people in their lives; how people interact with their own environment in ways that promote their sense of well-being, enhance personal development, and allow achieving personal life goals; how people evaluate challenges and problems; how they explore choices, make decisions, and act when faced with life's situations, including handling stress.
Mental Health Problems/Disorders refer to problems that affect one's thoughts, body, feelings, and behavior. They can be severe, seriously interfering with a person's life, and even cause a person to become disabled or commit suicide. Mental health problems include depression, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and conduct disorder, among others.
Mental Health Professionals are staff of mental health services with professional training and qualifications, and experience in working with clients who have a mental illness. Mental health professionals include social workers, psychiatric nurses, psychiatrist medical officers, occupational therapists, and psychologists.
Mental Illness, is a clinically diagnosable disorder that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with other people. It is diagnosed according to standardised criteria.
Mental State Examination (MSE) is an interview using a standardized set of questions with the primary purpose of identifying a person's current mental state.
Mobile Treatment Team provides assertive outreach, crisis intervention, and independent living assistance with linkage to necessary support services in the client's/patient's own environment.
Multidisciplinary Team refers to mental health professionals, employed by a public mental health service, who work together to provide treatment and care for people with mental illness. The team can include social workers, psychiatric nurses, psychiatrists, medical officers, occupational therapists, and psychologists.
Mutism refers to certain types of speech disorder, such as akinetic mutism (caused by a brain injury with resulting impairments to speech and mobility), hysterical mutism, and selective mutism. Selective mutism is related to social anxiety rather than a genuine speech or language disability. Individuals with selective mutism can communicate normally when in a situation in which they feel comfortable. However, in young children selective mutism can sometimes be confused with an autism spectrum disorder, especially if the child acts particularly withdrawn around his or her diagnostician. Unfortunately, this can lead to incorrect diagnosis and treatment.
Nervous Breakdown is a lay term commonly used to describe an emotional disturbance or mental illness. This term is not used by mental health professionals.
Neurological Disabilities are those associated with damage to the nervous system (brain and spine) that results in the loss of some bodily or mental functions. The most common is acquired brain injury. Heart attacks, infections, and lack of oxygen to the brain may also result in a neurological disability. Neurological disabilities may affect a person's mobility or physical abilities. They may also affect the way a person acts, expresses feelings, thinks, or processes information.
Neuroses/Neurotic Disorders are mental disorders commonly associated with distressing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Neurotic disorders are different from psychotic disorders in that the person does not experience a loss of sense of reality. The term neurotic disorder has been largely replaced by more specific terms, such as anxiety disorders and affective disorders.
Non-Government Psychiatric Disability Support Services refer to psychosocial rehabilitation and support services provided by non-government community agencies. These services include housing support, day programs, prevocational training, residential services and respite care.
Non-Institutional Services are facilities that provide mental health and disability services, but not on a residential (inpatient) basis.
Nonverbal Communication is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages. Such messages can be communicated through gesture; body language or posture; facial expression and eye contact; object communication such as symbols and graphics. Speech may also contain nonverbal elements known as paralanguage, including voice quality, emotion and speaking style, as well as features like rhythm, intonation and stress.
Nursing Home is an establishment that provides living quarters and care for the elderly and the chronically ill.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a chronic, relapsing disorder in which the person may experience strong impulses to perform certain acts or rituals over and over again, even though he or she realizes that doing so is illogical. Such acts are the result of recurrent and persistent unwanted thoughts and urges (compulsions) that cannot be easily controlled or ignored. They can cause great distress to the individual and interfere with his or her ability to perform life activities.
Occupational Therapists are health professionals who can work in community mental health services and psychiatric inpatient services. They are part of the multidisciplinary team, and their role is to help people develop confidence and skills in daily living, using a variety of techniques, such as creative therapies and training in practical tasks.
Occupational Therapy is defined as the use of productive or creative activity (occupation) to help people maximize their skills for daily living. It is often used in the treatment of people with intellectual disabilities, helping their rehabilitation and inclusion in society.
Outcome most commonly refers to the result of an action or a process. In the mental health context, outcome means a change in a consumer's health status between two measurement occasions.
Panic Disorders are sudden attacks of extreme and irrational fear. People with panic disorder experience heart-pounding terror that strikes without warning, and since such attacks cannot be predicted, people with this disorder live in persistent worry that another attack could overcome them at any moment.
Paranoia and Paranoid Disorders, in common use, refer to suspicion or mistrust of others. Mental health professionals use the term paranoia to describe persecutory ideas held by a person which are not quite as intense as delusions. For example, a person may believe someone close to them is poisoning their food. The disorder is present in many mental disorders and it is rare as an isolated mental illness. A person with paranoia can usually work and function in everyday life since the delusions involve only one area. However, their lives can be isolated and limited.
Parent/Family/Friend Advocacy* refers specifically to support given to children and people with profound and multiple disabilities.
Pastoral Counseling refers to working within traditional faith communities to incorporate psychotherapy and/or medication with prayer and spirituality to effectively help some people with mental disorders. Some people prefer to seek help for mental health problems from their pastor, rabbi, or priest, rather than from therapists who are not affiliated with a religious community.
Peer Advocacy* refers to mutual support and advocacy that two or more people, who share something in common, provide each other.
Person-Centered Planning* is a model of community-based service that holds the client at the center of the life-planning process. Person-centered planning is a broad model that offers multiple approaches to life planning so that the process can be tailored to the needs and wishes of the person with a disability. Similar to concepts of self-determination and supported decision-making, rather than focusing solely on a disability label, person-centered planning recognizes the abilities, desires, and humanity of each individual. Person-centered planning does not mean that people with mental disabilities are expected to make all plans and decisions on their own. Instead, the approach generally involves family members, service providers, and other support people collaborating with the client with a mental disability in order to define goals and outline concrete strategies that will support the client to reach those goals.
Personal Assistance refers to all necessary and required support for enabling people with disabilities to live independently and equally in the community. It is self-directed, organized, and managed by people with disabilities who choose to employ their own personal assistants to carry out all the necessary tasks, duties, and skills needed to support them. Some people with disabilities also have advocates to help them in this process.
Personality refers to the unique psychological qualities of an individual that influence a variety of characteristic behavior patterns (both overt and covert) across different situations and over time.
Personality Disorder refers to a group of disorders characterized by patterns of disruptive and dysfunctional behavior well-established by early adulthood, and continuing throughout a person's life. The person with a personality disorder typically has marked problems and frequent crises in personal and social relationships including threatened or actual self-injury. People with this disorder often have a history of inadequate or abusive parenting.
Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), also known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization and communication. The most commonly known are Autism, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or PDD-NOS). Parents or carers may note symptoms of PDD as early as infancy and typically onset is prior to 3 years of age.
Physical Therapy, also known as Physiotherapy, is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential through promotion, prevention, treatment/intervention, habilitation, and rehabilitation. This encompasses physical, psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Physical therapy involves the interaction between physical therapist (PT), patients/clients, other health professionals, families, caregivers, and communities in a process where movement potential is assessed and goals are agreed upon, using knowledge and skills unique to physical therapists.
Phobias are persistent and unreasonable fears that lead people to completely avoid specific things or situations that trigger intense anxiety. Phobias occur in various forms, for example, agoraphobia is the fear of being in any situation that might trigger a panic attack and from which escape might be difficult; social phobia is a fear of being extremely embarrassed in front of other people.
Play Therapy is geared towards young children, using a variety of activities, such as painting, puppets, and dioramas in order to establish communication with the therapist and resolve problems. Play allows the child to express emotions and problems that might be too difficult to discuss with another person.
Postpartum Depression refers to a condition some women experience following the birth of a child. It is caused by a hormonal imbalance in the woman's body, and may be aggravated by factors such as exhaustion, lack of adequate sleep, lack of support, relationship adjustments, financial challenges, and other triggers. Although as many as 80% of women who gave birth may go through the so-called "baby blues" in the first weeks postpartum, these usually go away on their own. However, some women go on to develop depression that can manifest itself in the first six months after the birth, and is characterized by the same mood changes as a regular depression, as well as possible feelings of rejection towards the baby and resulting feelings of guilt and inadequacy. It is important to seek help with postpartum depression, in order to prevent potentially devastating consequences for the mother and/or the baby.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops as a result of witnessing or experiencing a traumatic occurrence, especially life threatening events. PTSD can seriously interfere with a person's ability to hold a job or to develop intimate relationships with others.
Prader-Willi Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that may be noticeable at birth: newborn infants are often small and very floppy (hypotonic). As the children grow they may have delayed motor and mental development (IQ is usually less than 80), and small hands and feet. They can also become obese due to an intense craving for food.
Prejudice may be defined as prejudgment and preconception towards another human being or group of people formed without knowledge or examination of the facts. Prejudices, which can influence perceptions and behavior, are often reinforced by stereotypes and are usually based on an assumption, feelings, and beliefs, rather than facts.
Primary Mental Health and Early Intervention Teams (PMHEI) support and enhance the capacity of primary care providers, especially general practitioners and community health services, to recognize and respond to mental disorders more effectively. They provide consultation, liaison, education, and training services to primary care providers for both low and high prevalence disorders. The teams have a particular focus on disorders such as depression and anxiety. They also provide some short-term direct care treatment and assessment for these high prevalence disorders.
Prognosis is the predicted course of a person's mental illness or their interpersonal, emotional or social functioning, based on specialized psychiatric knowledge, assessment of the client's current mental state, and an understanding of his/her personal circumstances and environment.
Professional Advocacy* refers to help provided by a paid advocate for a person with a learning disability.
Profound/Multiple Intellectual Disability is characterized by low intellectual functioning and deficits in adaptive behavior that significantly limit an individual's effectiveness in meeting the standards of maturation, learning, personal independence, and social responsibility. School performance expected of the individual's age-level and cultural group as determined by clinical judgment is especially deficient.
Psychiatric Assessment is a thorough assessment of a client by a mental health professional. It includes identifying a person's current mental state, personal and social history, social situation, and any relevant past psychiatric history. The psychiatric assessment enables selection of the most appropriate form of treatment for the client.
Psychiatric Crisis describes the situation where a person with a mental illness or severe mental disorder experiences thoughts, feelings, or behaviors which cause severe distress to him/her, and those around him/her, requiring immediate psychiatric treatment to assess and manage risk and alleviate distress. The acute stage of a mental illness is characterized by infrequent yet severely distressing symptoms that require immediate treatment. This may be the person's first experience of mental illness, a repeat episode, or the worsening of symptoms of a continued mental illness.
Psychiatric Disability refers to the effects of mental illness that severely impair functioning in different aspects of a person's life, such as the ability to live independently, stay safe, maintain relationships, or maintain employment.
Psychiatric Emergency Walk-in is a planned program to provide psychiatric care in emergency situations with staff specifically assigned for this purpose. It includes crisis intervention, which enables the individual, family members, and friends to cope with the emergency while maintaining the individual's status as a functioning community member to the greatest extent possible.
Psychiatrist: a professional who completed both medical school and training in psychiatry, and is a specialist in diagnosing and treating mental illness.
Psychoanalysis focuses on past conflicts as the underpinnings to current emotional and behavioral problems. In this long-term and intensive therapy, an individual meets with a psychoanalyst several times a week, using "free association" to explore unconscious motivations and earlier, unproductive patterns of resolving issues.
Psychoanalyst: a professional with a degree and a specific training in the Freudian approach who works on a one-to-one basis with people who are suffering from conditions such as depression, anxiety, a phobia, or obsessive behavior, to help them to uncover the behavioral patterns buried in their unconscious.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy is based on the principles of psychoanalysis with its premise that human behavior is determined by one's past experiences, genetic factors, and current situation. This approach recognizes the significant influence that emotions and unconscious motivation can have on human behavior. This therapy is less intense than psychoanalysis, taking place once or twice a week and over a shorter period of time.
Psychoeducation refers to the education offered to people who live with a psychological disturbance. Frequently psychoeducational training involves patients with psychotic illnesses, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and eating disorders. Family members are also included. The goal is for the patient to understand and be better able to deal with the illness. In addition, the patient's own strengths, resources, and coping skills are reinforced in order to avoid relapse and contribute to their own health and wellness on a long-term basis.
Psychologists are clinical professionals that have specialist training in the assessment of behavior and mental functioning, and in a range of interventions aimed at changing how people think, feel, and act towards themselves and others.
Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes.
Psychometrics is the field of psychology that specializes in mental testing.
Psychosis is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a loss of contact with reality. People experiencing psychosis may report hallucinations or delusions, and may exhibit personality changes and disorganized thinking. This may be accompanied by unusual or bizarre behavior, as well as difficulty with social interaction and impairment in carrying out the activities of daily living.
Psychosocial Assessment is a procedure used to identify a person's abilities and difficulties in his/her personal, domestic, and social functioning, in order to assist in the development of the individual service plan.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation* is a range of interventions aimed at improving a client's personal, domestic, and social functioning, so that he or she can live independently in the community. Therapeutic activities or interventions are provided individually or in groups, and may include development and maintenance of daily and community-living skills; self-care (for example, grooming, bodily care, feeding); social skills training; and development of basic language skills.
Psychosocial Support is an ongoing process of meeting emotional, social, mental, and spiritual needs, all of which are considered essential elements of meaningful and positive human development. It goes beyond simply meeting physical needs, placing emphasis on meeting psychological and emotional needs, and the need for social interaction. Programs that aim to meet the psychosocial and physical needs of a person are called holistic.
Psychosurgery is a surgical procedure performed on brain tissue to alleviate a psychological disorder.
Psychotherapy is an intervention used by trained psychotherapists to aid clients who experience problems in living their day-to-day life. This usually includes increasing individual sense of well-being and reducing subjective discomforting experience. Psychotherapists employ a range of techniques based on experiential relationship building: dialogue, communication and behavior change. They are designed to improve the mental health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships. Psychotherapy may be performed by practitioners with a number of different qualifications, including psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, and psychiatrists. Only psychiatrists may administer medical treatments outside of the scope of psychotherapy or prescribe medications.
Psychotic is a term used to describe a condition in which a person is unable to tell what is real from what is imagined, as occurs with the experience of hallucinations or delusions. The condition may also include features of thought disorder, disorientation, or confusion.
Public Mental Health Services refers to the range of mental health services that provide local and national specialist treatment and support for people with mental illness and associated psychiatric disability. These services are provided free of charge. They include child and adolescent mental health services; adult mental health services; aged persons' mental health services; and specialist services.
Pyromania is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder characterized by an impulse to deliberately start fires, in order to relieve tension or receive gratification afterward.
Quota policy is a legal requirement that employers of a certain size, for example, those companies employing more than 15 people, must employ a certain number or percentage of people with disabilities.
Referral means a recommendation on the available and appropriate clinical resources and services, and access to them, for clients/users, following a thorough assessment of the client's needs and circumstances.
Registered Nurse is a trained professional with a nursing degree who provides patient care and administers medicine.
Rehabilitation of people with disabilities is a process aimed at enabling them to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological, and social functional levels. Rehabilitation provides them with the tools they need to attain independence and self-determination.
Rehabilitation Services refers to a range of services such as speech therapy, physical, and occupational therapy designed to enable people with disabilities to live as independently as possible in the community.
Residential Services are services provided over a 24-hour period or any portion of the day during which a patient resided, on an ongoing basis, in a state facility or other facility, and received treatment.
Residential Treatment Centers (Children) are facilities that provide treatment 24 hours a day and can usually serve more than 12 young people at a time. Children with serious emotional disturbances receive constant supervision and care. Treatment may include individual, group, and family therapy; behavior therapy; special education; recreation therapy; and medical services. Residential treatment is usually more long-term than inpatient hospitalization. Centers are also known as therapeutic group homes.
Respite Residential Services refers to provision of periodic relief to the usual family members and friends who care for the clients/patients.
Respite Care* is service that provides a break for parents or other unpaid carers who are looking after a child or adult with a disability or serious mental health problem. Trained parents or care workers take care of the individual for a brief period of time to give families relief from the strain of caring for the child. This type of care can be provided in the home or in another location. Some parents may need this help every week.
Rett Syndrome is a neurological disorder occurring primarily in girls, in which individuals exhibit reduced muscle tone, autistic-like behavior, wringing and waving of the hands, loss of purposeful use of the hands, diminished ability to express feelings, avoidance of eye contact, a lag in brain and head growth, gait abnormalities, and seizures. Girls with Rett syndrome seem to develop normally until six to 18 months of age and then regress, losing speech and hand skills. Loss of muscle tone is usually the first symptom. Most researchers agree that it is a developmental disorder rather than a progressive, degenerative disorder. Intellectual development appears to be significantly affected by Rett syndrome.
Review (child) is a professional assessment of the child's physical and mental health, intelligence, school performance, family situation, and behavior in the community. It identifies the strengths of the child and family in order to determine what kind of treatment and supports, or adjustments to the existing care plan, are needed.
Ritual Healing refers to ceremonies that infuse special emotional intensity and meaning into the healing process.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by "positive" and "negative" symptoms. Psychotic, or positive, symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thinking (apparent from a person's fragmented, disconnected and sometimes nonsensical speech). Negative symptoms include social withdrawal, extreme apathy, diminished motivation, and blunted emotional expression. There may also be a loss in the person's ability to perform some life tasks, such as relating to others, maintaining employment, and fulfilling domestic duties.
School Attendance refers to physical presence of a child in a school setting during scheduled class hours. "Regular" school attendance is attendance during at least 75% of scheduled hours.
School-Based Services are treatment and support interventions designed to identify emotional disturbances and/or assist parents, teachers, and counselors in developing comprehensive strategies for addressing these disturbances. School-based services also include counseling or other school-based programs for emotionally disturbed children, adolescents, and their families within the school, home, and community environment.
Screening is a process that enables a duty worker to obtain enough information from the person requesting service so as to guide him or her to an appropriate service within or outside public mental health services. The duty worker will take responsibility for referring a person to an outside agency, or arrange an intake assessment with the appropriate local mental health service.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that appears related to fluctuations in the exposure to natural light. It usually strikes during autumn and often continues through the winter when natural light is reduced. Researchers have found that people who have SAD can be helped with the symptoms of their illness if they spend blocks of time bathed in light from a special full-spectrum light source, called a "light box."
Self-Advocacy* is a form of advocacy when people speak up for themselves, either alone or in a group. It means that although a person with a disability may call upon the support of others, the individual is entitled to be in control of their own resources and how they are directed. It is about having the right to make life decisions without undue influence or control by others.
Self-Advocate is a person with an intellectual disability who speaks up for him- or herself.
Self-Determination* is founded on the principle that people with intellectual disabilities have the right to make informed decisions about their lives and the ability to live as responsible citizens within the community. The philosophy of self-determination stems from a fundamental belief in ability and human rights of all. Self-determination seeks to alter models of service that are seen as preventing the empowering of individuals. Services for self-determination provide the information and support necessary for clients to realize their potential and responsibilities as full members of society.
Sensory Development is the development of the different senses of touch, taste, smell, vision, and hearing, as well as movement awareness.
Self-Esteem is a generalized evaluative attitude towards the self that influences both moods and behavior, and that exerts a powerful effect on a range of personal and social behaviors.
Self-Help refers to informal groups or meetings that involve people with similar needs. They are often facilitated by a consumer, survivor, or other layperson, and assist people to deal with a "life-disrupting" event, such as a death, abuse, serious accident, addiction, or diagnosis of a physical or mental illness. Self-help groups operate as a rule on a non-profit basis; they are voluntary, anonymous, and confidential. Many people with mental health problems find that self-help groups are an invaluable resource for recovery and empowerment.
Sensory Integration describes a child's ability to organize and respond to information received through the senses of touch, taste, smell, vision, hearing, and movement. This ability to organize and respond to sensory information is essential for developing more complex thinking skills and behaviors.
Serious Emotional Disturbances are diagnosable disorders in children and adolescents that severely disrupt their daily functioning in the home, school, or community setting. These disorders include depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, conduct disorder, and eating disorders.
Service is a type of support or clinical intervention designed to address the specific needs of a person and his or her family. A service could be provided only one time or repeated over a course of time, as determined by the user, family, and service provider.
Severe Mental Illness means that a person's ability to think, communicate, and behave appropriately is so impaired that it interferes with his or her ability to deal with ordinary demands of life. Without effective treatment and support, the outcome for the person may be significant impairment or disability.
Severe Personality Disorder refers to a serious form of personality disorder.
Sexuality* refers to how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings. The study of human sexuality encompasses an array of social activities and an abundance of behaviors, actions, and societal topics. Biologically, sexuality can encompass sexual intercourse and sexual contact in all its forms, as well as medical concerns about the physiological or even psychological aspects of sexual behavior. Sociologically, it can cover the cultural, political, and legal aspects, and, philosophically, it can touch on the moral, ethical, theological, spiritual, or religious aspects.
Sheltered Accommodation refers to housing arrangements designed to enable people with disabilities to live on their own (not in an institution). Such accommodation may have specialized facilities and specially trained staff to provide required support. The manager or warden lives on the premises or nearby, and can be contacted through an alarm system if necessary.
Sheltered Workplace is an occupation-oriented facility operated by either a not-for-profit corporation or a standard corporation, which employs only people with disabilities. There are three main types of sheltered workplaces (workshops): sheltered workshops financially supported by employment offices; sheltered workshops established by NGOs; and sheltered workshops which are part of a residential institution.
Social Phobia is a persistent, irrational fear that arises in anticipation of a public situation where an individual might be observed by others.
Social Psychology is the branch of psychology that studies the effect of social variables on individual behavior, attitudes, perceptions, and motives; it also studies group and intergroup phenomena.
Social Role is a socially defined pattern of behavior that is expected of a person who is functioning in a given setting or group.
Social Exclusion does not have a single determined definition, but generally refers to preventing groups or individuals from full participation in the normal activities and social relations of the society in which they live, often based on a specific group characteristic.
Social Inclusion is a policy designed to ensure that all people are able to participate in society regardless of their disability, social status, race, language, culture, gender, and other factors. The goal of social inclusion is to give all people an equal chance in life. In order to achieve this goal, the barriers to participation in all aspects of life, such as education, employment, leisure, and citizenship must be addressed. An inclusive society is characterized by respect for all citizens and a balance between the rights and duties of individuals and society.
Social Workers are health professionals who have a qualification in social work and may also specialize in mental health. They form part of the multidisciplinary team and their typical functions include counseling, advocacy, family work, and social and community development.
Socialization is the lifelong process whereby an individual's behavioral patterns, values, standards, skills, attitudes, and motives are shaped to conform to those regarded as desirable or acceptable in a particular society.
Special Education* refers to direct instructional activities or learning experiences designed primarily for students identified as having special needs in one or more aspects of the cognitive process. Such services usually are directed, at no additional cost to the parents, at students with physical, emotional, and intellectual disabilities. Special education is thus intended to meet the individual educational needs of students with disabilities. Special education includes classroom instruction, physical education instruction, ancillary, and other related services. These services may include medical, psychiatric, psychological, speech and language, or educational evaluation; counseling; occupational, physical, recreational, music, art, or other therapy; mobility services and transportation; social work; in-home teaching; and other services.
Special Segregated School is a school that provides education only to children with special needs, and often in a residential environment, for example, a special boarding school. Experiences of many countries show that education in a segregated setting is not conducive to developing students' abilities to the full potential, or to their subsequent integration in society.
Specific Language Disability, also called speech and language disorder, refers to problems in communication and related areas such as oral motor function. A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds, whereas a language disorder refers to a difficulty understanding or putting words together to communicate ideas. These delays and disorders range from simple sound substitutions to the inability to understand or use language, or use the oral-motor mechanism for functional speech and feeding. Some causes of speech and language disorders include hearing loss, neurological disorders, brain injury, intellectual disability, drug abuse, physical impairments, such as cleft lip or palate, and vocal abuse or misuse.
Speech Therapy is a common treatment for children with speech and/or language disorders. A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds, whereas a language disorder refers to a difficulty understanding or putting words together to communicate ideas.
Stereotypes are generalizations (usually negative) about a group of people in which the same characteristics are assigned to all members of a group.
Stress is the pattern of specific and nonspecific responses an organism makes to stimulus events that disturb its equilibrium and tax or exceed its ability to cope.
Stigma* is the negative reaction of people to an individual or group because of some assumed inferiority or difference.
Stuttering is a communication disorder of fluency, that is, the smoothness with which sounds, syllables, words, and phrases are joined together during oral language. In stuttering, the flow of speech is broken by abnormal stoppage with no sound, repetitions of sounds or syllables, or prolonging of a sound or syllable. Stuttering tends to run in families, and evidence suggests it is associated with a neurological disorder.
Substance Abuse is a pattern of misuse of medications, alcohol, or other (illegal) substances, often leading to addiction.
Substance-Related Disorders refer to changes to a person's physical health and behavior associated with the overuse of alcohol or drugs. Substance-related disorder is not a mental illness and requires very different specialist skills from those offered by mental health services. However, people with a substance-related disorder can also suffer from a mental illness, and some persons with long standing substance abuse can develop symptoms of a mental illness.
Suicidal refers to a mental state when a person gives strong indications or has noticeable intentions of taking his or her own life. The vast majority of persons who commit suicide have a depression or another diagnosable mental or substance-abuse disorder.
Supported Decision-Making* is based on the principle that all individuals have a right to self-determination and respect for their autonomy, irrespective of disability. It presupposes accommodations of the legal system to enable people with mental health problems and intellectual disabilities to exercise their right to self-determination. This means all individuals have a will that can be interpreted and forms the basis for decision-making. This also means people with disabilities are entitled to necessary supports for exercising decision-making capacity, for example: decisions made interdependently with family and trusted others should be legally recognized.
Supported Employment* refers to services which assist individuals with disabilities, who were traditionally denied employment, in finding and maintaining appropriate, competitive work in integrated setting. These services consist of assessing individuals' skills, attitudes, behaviors, and interests relevant to work; providing vocational rehabilitation and/or other training and coaching; providing transportation and assistive technology as needed; and providing meaningful work opportunities with individually tailored supervision and ongoing support for as long as necessary.
Supported Housing refers to services which assist individuals in finding and maintaining appropriate housing arrangements.
Supported Living refers to services which enable people to live in their own homes, providing flexible, individualized support to people wherever that might be.
Supportive Residential Services refer to moderately staffed housing arrangements for clients/patients which include supervised apartments, satellite facilities, group homes, halfway houses, mental health shelter-care facilities, and other facilities.
Symptom refers to a change in a person's mind or body that indicate he or she may be suffering from a particular illness.
System of Care is a method of addressing children's mental health needs. It is developed on the premise that the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and their families can be met within their home, school, and community environments. These systems are also developed around the principles of being child-centered, family-driven, strength-based, culturally competent, and involving interagency collaboration.
Telephone Hotline is a dedicated telephone line that is advertised and may be operated as a crisis hotline for emergency counseling, or as a referral resource for callers with mental health problems.
Therapeutic Foster Care is a service that provides treatment for troubled children within private homes of trained families. The approach combines the normalizing influence of family-based care with specialized treatment interventions, thereby creating a therapeutic environment in the context of a nurturing family home.
Therapist is a general term used to describe professionals who offer therapy services. Therapists use a variety of techniques, from psychotherapy, art therapy, and hypnotherapy, to help clients improve overall mental health. Clients could seek a therapist for anything from a need to deal with childhood trauma and relationship problems to career counseling and stress. Another commonly used term is counselor. If the term is used more informally, "therapist" could also refer to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Thought Disorder is a symptom most often seen in schizophrenia and other psychoses. It describes a disturbance in a person's thought patterns and is usually shown in abnormal speech. For example, a person may jump from topic to topic in conversation, their answers may be quite unrelated to a question, or they may use strikingly unusual words or phrases.
Transition can refer to movement from child/adolescent mental health services to adult services, as well as to the process of maturing from childhood/adolescence to adulthood.
Treatment is the use of professional knowledge and skills to bring about an improvement in a person's mental health, or to lessen the ill effects of a mental illness, distress, and suffering that may accompany it.
Tourette Syndrome is an inherited disorder of the nervous system characterized by repetitive muscle movements and vocal outbursts called tics. It becomes apparent during childhood or adolescence. The tics can include eye blinking, repeated throat clearing or sniffing, arm thrusting, kicking movements, shoulder shrugging, or jumping. Only in a small number of cases do tics involve socially inappropriate words or phrases.
Trichotillomania is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder characterized by pulling one's hair out.
Unconscious in psychoanalysis is the part of the mind that contains psychic material, such as memories, that are not subject to conscious perception or control but often affect conscious thoughts and behavior.
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) are designed to assess persons from birth to adulthood in their personal and social functioning. The VABS are organized around four behavior domains: Communication, Daily Living Skills, Socialization, and Motor Skills.
Vocational Rehabilitation is the process of supporting an individual in choosing or returning to a suitable profession, which includes assisting the person to obtain necessary vocational training. Vocational rehabilitation can also mean preparing an individual to cope emotionally, psychologically, and physically with changing circumstances in life, including remaining at school or returning to school or work.
Ward I refers to a psychiatric hospital, an institution.
Ward II in guardianship refers to a dependent person whose decision-making has been taken away due to deemed incompetence.
Wellness refers to optimal health, incorporating the ability to function fully and actively in the physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental domains of health.
Williams Syndrome is a genetic disorder that almost always causes some degree of intellectual and developmental disability. Young children with Williams syndrome often have low muscle tone and joint laxity, and they may develop stiffness in the joints as they get older (physical therapy helps to diminish these effects). People with Williams syndrome tend to have a unique strength in their expressive language skills, and are typically polite, sociable, and likeable.
Wraparound Services refer to a unique set of community services and natural supports for a child/adolescent with serious emotional disturbances based on a defined planning process, individualized for the child and family to achieve a positive set of outcomes.
Selected Sources
FindCounseling.com - Glossary
http://www.findcounseling.com/glossary/
Enable Link / Abilities Magazine - Definitions
http://www.enablelink.org/disability/disab_defns.html?showdisability=1
Mental Health Dictionary of SAMSHA
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/resources/dictionary.aspx
Psychology Matters - Glossary
http://www.psychologymatters.org/glossary.html
Stop Discrimination - Glossary
http://www.stop-discrimination.info/6423.0.html?&no_cache=1
Victoria's Mental Health Services Terminology
http://www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/termnlgy.htm
World Health Organization - Health Topics
http://www.who.int/topics/environmental_health/en/