A lack of oxygen in the body that is usually caused by interruption of breathing.
Acute, in medicine, refers to an intense illness or affliction of abrupt onset.
Ambidexterity is the ability to use both your hands with equal ease or facility.
The extent to which a patient's behaviour (in terms of taking medication, following a diet, modifying habits, or attending clinics) coincides with medical or health advice.
Source: McDonald HP, Garg AX, Haynes RB. Interventions to Enhance Patient Adherence to Medication Prescriptions. JAMA. 2002 Dec 11;288(22):2868-79.
The word antipsychotic is applied to a group of drugs commonly, but not exclusively, used to treat psychosis.
Cognition is another word for 'thought'.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a talking treatment designed to alter unwanted patterns of thought and behaviour; it addresses personal beliefs which may result in negative emotional responses, concentrating on understanding behaviour rather than the actual cause of a problem.
Source: Mental Health Care
Cognitive remediation therapy is an intensive type of therapy that can help people with schizophrenia cope better with everyday life.
Source: Mental Health Care
In this web site 'carer' is the term used to describe someone who provides support to someone with experience of a mental illness. Forms of support include: emotional, financial and practical.
An abnormal belief held about one's self or the world.
The Department of Health is responsible for driving forward change and modernisation in the NHS and social care, as well as improving standards of public health. The Department develops policies, and sets national standards for health care.
When used in medicine this term refers to any disturbance in the function of an organ or body part.
A person's normal mood state.
If a carer has an attitude of criticism or is over-involved in the life of the person with mental illness they may be defined as having 'High Expressed Emotion'.
The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, and survival of an organism.
Source: The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, and survival of an organism.
fMRI is a technique for determining which parts of the brain are activated by different types of physical sensation or activity. The fMRI scanner measures increased blood flow to activated areas of the brain.
Those who share half your genes with you - i.e. mother, father, sister, brother, children.
A gene or DNA sequence having a known location on a chromosome and associated with a particular gene or trait.
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2004, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Fluid-filled spaces within the brain.
A sequence of DNA that is associated with the presence of or vulnerability to a condition. The sequence is often not the gene actually responsible for the disorder, but is physically close to the responsible gene and so signals the presence of that gene.
The Department of Health's National Service Framework for Mental Health sets national standards for promoting mental health and treating mental illness.
Very rare condition caused by anti-psychotic drugs and characterised by high temperature, muscle rigidity, and mutism. Requires emergency treatment as it has a high mortality rate.
Source: Mental Health Foundation http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/wordbank.cfm?wordid=213&wbletter=N
The essential feature of the obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency. Individuals with OCPD are conscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about morality, ethics, or values. They may force both themselves and others to follow rigid moral principles and very high standards of performance. They are inclined to be severely self-critical.
Source: DSM-IV, 1994, pp. 669-670
A diagnosis which is often given when all the criteria for autism or Asperger's syndrome have not been met but the child's difficulties are of the kind found within the spectrum of autistic disorder.
A gland in the brain which produces and releases several hormones.
A small study conducted in advance of a large one, to test the feasibility of the large study.
Portage workers may work with the learning disabilities service, and have particular expertise in working with parents of pre-school children, helping them with developmental difficulties using a home teaching method.
Pre-eclampsia is a condition that can occasionally occur in the second half of pregnancy. It is characterised by high blood pressure, persistent excessive swelling of the hands, feet and ankles and sometimes the face, and large amounts of protein in the urine (called proteinuria).
The word psychosis is used to describe a group of conditions that affect the mind and to some extent mean that the person loses contact with reality. A person may experience unusual or distressing perceptions e.g. hallucinations and delusions, which may be accompanied by a reduced ability to cope with usual day to day activities and routine. Someone who has these unusual experiences is described as having a psychotic episode.
A detailed review and analysis of previously published literature.
A person receiving the services of a health authority or voluntary or independent organisation is called a service user. In this web site the term ususally refers to someone who is using mental health services.
In a spectrum disorder the symptoms and characteristics can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe.
Schizotypy is a psychological concept which describes a continuum of personality characteristics and experiences related to psychosis and in particular, schizophrenia.
This is in contrast to a categorical view of psychosis, where psychosis is considered to be a particular (usually pathological) state, that someone either has, or has not.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizotypy
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a group of antidepressant drugs used to treat depression. They are also used to treat other conditions such as bulimia, panic disorder, and obsessional-compulsive disorder.
Source: Patient UK
Slang name for low quality hashish, extracted from cannabis plants.
Source: Wikipedia - Hashish
A serious potential side-effect of anti-psychotic medication which includes involuntary movements of the face, mouth, tongue, upper or lower limbs. Can occur on withdrawal from anti-psychotic drugs and may be irreversible.
Source: Mental Health Foundation http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/wordbank.cfm?wordid=138&wbletter=T
The therapeutic relationship (also called the helping alliance, the therapeutic alliance, and the working alliance) refers to the relationship between a mental health professional and a service user. It is the means by which the professional hopes to engage with, and effect change in, a service user.
We welcome your feedback.
The content of this site is provided for information only. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that the information is accurate it should not replace the advice of your doctor or any other health care professional. If you are worried about your health please visit your doctor.
The Institute of Psychiatry, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Rethink do not endorse any of the publications or products mentioned in this web site.