Chapter 21 Mental Health

alcoholism

chronic and often progressive disease resulting when alcohol is used regularly and excessively

antianxiety agent

medication that lessens anxiety in mild to moderate states of emotional upset

antidepressant

medication that reverses depressive symptoms and produces feelings of well being

antipsychotic medication

medication that reduces excitement and controls hostile aggressive behavior in schizophrenic patients

anxiety disorder

tension about an unidentified anger and fear relating to specific cause

attention deficit disorder

disorder characterized by a habitual inability to pay attention for more than a minute or two

delirium

condition characterized by a disturbance of consciousness and a change in cognition that develops over a short period of time

dementia

condition characterized by multiple cognitive deficits that include impairment in memory

detoxification

medically supervised treatment program to counteract or destroy toxic properties in the body

intelligence test

test that quantifies intellectual processes and the corresponding brain function

learning disorder

disorder found in children with normal health and intelligence but who have problems with the ability to learn

mania

excessive preoccupation

mental disorder

clinically significant behavior associated with distress, disability, increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or important loss of freedom

mental health

describes the capability of individuals to cope with all of the events of life, good or bad, in a way that allows their personality to remain intact and even to grow emotionally

mental retardation

below-normal intellectual functioning caused by either internal or external factors

mood disorder

disorder occurring when a prolonged emotion pervades an individual's entire mental life

neuropsychological test

test that allows more distinct inferences to be made about neurological impairment and relationships between an impairment and intellectual, emotional, personality, and integrative functions

personality disorder

disorder that may interfere with an individual's behavior and interactions with other individuals because of an inability to deal with the demands or the limitation of the world

phobia

persistent, irrational fear triggered by a specific type of stimulus

psychiatrist

medical doctor with several additional years of training in the methods of psychotherapy

psychiatry

medical specialty that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders

psychologist

nonmedical person with a doctorate in psychol9gy

psychotherapy

method used to treat mental illness using a variety of techniques

schizophrenia

disorder characterized by withdraw from reality into a fantasy world

somatoform disorder

disorder that suggests a general medical condition but when no general medical condition fully accounts for the physical sypmtoms

alcoholism

chronic and often progressive disease resulting when alcohol is used regularly and excessively

antianxiety agent

medication that lessens anxiety in mild to moderate states of emotional upset

antidepressant

medication that reverses depressive symptoms and produces feelings of well being

antipsychotic medication

medication that reduces excitement and controls hostile aggressive behavior in schizophrenic patients

anxiety disorder

tension about an unidentified anger and fear relating to specific cause

attention deficit disorder

disorder characterized by a habitual inability to pay attention for more than a minute or two

delirium

condition characterized by a disturbance of consciousness and a change in cognition that develops over a short period of time

dementia

condition characterized by multiple cognitive deficits that include impairment in memory

detoxification

medically supervised treatment program to counteract or destroy toxic properties in the body

intelligence test

test that quantifies intellectual processes and the corresponding brain function

learning disorder

disorder found in children with normal health and intelligence but who have problems with the ability to learn

mania

excessive preoccupation

mental disorder

clinically significant behavior associated with distress, disability, increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or important loss of freedom

mental health

describes the capability of individuals to cope with all of the events of life, good or bad, in a way that allows their personality to remain intact and even to grow emotionally

mental retardation

below-normal intellectual functioning caused by either internal or external factors

mood disorder

disorder occurring when a prolonged emotion pervades an individual's entire mental life

neuropsychological test

test that allows more distinct inferences to be made about neurological impairment and relationships between an impairment and intellectual, emotional, personality, and integrative functions

personality disorder

disorder that may interfere with an individual's behavior and interactions with other individuals because of an inability to deal with the demands or the limitation of the world

phobia

persistent, irrational fear triggered by a specific type of stimulus

psychiatrist

medical doctor with several additional years of training in the methods of psychotherapy

psychiatry

medical specialty that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders

psychologist

nonmedical person with a doctorate in psychol9gy

psychotherapy

method used to treat mental illness using a variety of techniques

schizophrenia

disorder characterized by withdraw from reality into a fantasy world

somatoform disorder

disorder that suggests a general medical condition but when no general medical condition fully accounts for the physical sypmtoms