Psych Health Dictionary

The mind or soul of an individual and his or her mental – in contrast to the physical – functioning.... psyche

The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental and emotional disorders. Those who specialize in care of older adults are called geriatric psychiatrists, old-age psychiatrists, psychogeriatricians or geropsychiatrists.... psychiatry

Profession dealing with peoples’ behaviour and cognition and their effects.... psychology

Psychological (as opposed to physical) methods of treatment for mental disorders and psychological problems.... psychotherapy

The term applied to the theories and practice of the school of psychology originating with Freud and developed by Jung and other psychotherapists (see PSYCHOLOGY). It depends upon the theory that states of disordered mental health have been produced by a repression in the subconscious of painful memories or of con?icting instincts, thus absorbing the individual’s mental energy and diverting attention from normal mental activities.

Psychoanalysis aims at discovering these repressed memories, which are responsible for the diversion of mental power and of which the affected person usually is only dimly aware or quite unaware. The fundamental method of psychoanalytical treatment is the free expression of thoughts, ideas and fantasies on the part of the patient. To facilitate this, the analyst uses techniques to relax the patient and maintains a neutral attitude to his or her problems. In the course of analysis the patient will re-explore his or her early emotional attitudes and tensions.

The fundamental conception of psychoanalysis, although hard to prove by orthodox scienti?c methods and therefore challenged by some psychiatrists, has been widely adopted and developed by other schools of psychology. Freud’s work changed the attitudes of the scienti?c community and the public to the problems of the neurotic, the morbidly anxious, the fearful and to the mental and emotional develoment of the child.... psychoanalysis

One of a group of mental disorders in which the affected person loses contact with reality. Thought processes are so disturbed that the person does not always realise that he or she is ill. Symptoms include DELUSIONS, HALLUCINATIONS, loss of emotion, MANIA, DEPRESSION, poverty of thought and seriously abnormal behaviour. Psychoses include SCHIZOPHRENIA, MANIC DEPRESSION and organically based mental disorders. (See also MENTAL ILLNESS.)... psychosis

This was introduced in 1936 by Egas Moniz, Professor of Medicine in Lisbon University, for the surgical treatment of certain psychoses (see PSYCHOSIS). For his work in this ?eld he shared the Nobel prize in 1949. The original operation, known as leucotomy, consisted of cutting white ?bres in the frontal lobe of the BRAIN. It was accompanied by certain hazards such as persistent EPILEPSY and undesirable changes in personality; pre-frontal leucotomy is now regarded as obsolete. Modern stereotactic surgery may be indicated in certain intractable psychiatric illnesses in which the patient is chronically incapacitated, especially where there is a high suicide risk. Patients are only considered for psychosurgery when they have failed to respond to routine therapies. One contraindication is marked histrionic or antisocial personality. The conditions in which a favour-able response has been obtained are intractable and chronic obsessional neuroses (see NEUROSIS), anxiety states and severe chronic DEPRESSION.

Psychosurgery is now rare in Britain. The Mental Health Act 1983 requires not only consent by the patient – con?rmed by an independent doctor, and two other representatives of the Mental Health Act Commission – but also that the Commission’s appointed medical representative also advise on the likelihood of the treatment alleviating or preventing a deterioration in the patient’s condition.... psychosurgery

A term that describes physical disorders that seem to have been caused, or made worse, by psychological factors. Common examples of conditions that may be psychosomatic are headache, breathlessness, nausea, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer, and types of eczema. (See also somatization disorder.)... psychosomatic

The branch of PSYCHIATRY that investigates, diagnoses and treats the mental-health problems of old people. Psychogeriatricians work in close co-operation with physicians for the care of the elderly, and with other health professionals and social workers in this branch of medicine.... psychogeriatrics

Psychologists have a graduate degree in PSYCHOLOGY, followed by an accredited postgraduate training leading to chartered status. There are a number of di?erent branches related to the various applications psychology has to di?erent ?elds of work.... psychologist

The use of standardised psychological tests to measure di?erences in functions – for example, intelligence and personality – in individuals.... psychometrics

A general term applied to various functional disorders of the nervous system. (See NEUROSIS.)... psychoneurosis

Any disease of the mind... psychopathy

A?ecting the mind. Psychotropic drugs include HALLUCINOGENS, HYPNOTICS or sleeping drugs, sedatives, TRANQUILLISERS and NEUROLEPTICS (antipsychotic drugs).... psychotropic

An aid to psychotherapy in which the patient acts out certain roles or incidents.

Psychodrama is often carried out with a partner or in a group; music, dance, and mime are often used.... psychodrama

A term for a symptom or disorder that is caused by psychological or emotional problems.... psychogenic

The study of abnormal mental processes. There are 2 main approaches: the descriptive, which aims to record symptoms that make up a diagnosis of mental illness; and the psychoanalytic, which is concerned with the unconscious feelings and motives of the individual.... psychopathology

The study of drugs that affect mental states, such as antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant drugs, and anti-anxiety drugs.... psychopharmacology

Psychology is the scienti?c study of behaviour. It may be applied in various settings including education, industry and health care. Clinical psychology is concerned with the practical application of research ?ndings in the ?elds of physical and mental health. Training in clinical psychology involves a degree in psychology followed by postgraduate training. Clinical psychologists are speci?cally skilled in applying theoretical models and objective methods of observation and measurement, and in therapeutic interventions aimed at changing patients’ dysfunctional behaviour, including thoughts and feelings as well as actions. Dysfunctional behaviour is explained in terms of normal processes and modi?ed by applying principles of normal learning, adaption and social interaction.

Clinical psychologists are involved in health care in the following ways: (1) Assessment of thoughts, emotions and behaviour using standardised methods. (2) Treatment based on theoretical models and scienti?c evidence about behaviour change. Behaviour change is considered when it contributes to physical, psychological or social functioning. (3) Consultation with other health-care professionals about problems concerning emotions, thinking and behaviour. (4) Research on a wide variety of topics including the relationship between stress, psychological functioning and disease; the aetiology of problem behaviours; methods and theories of behaviour change. (5) Teaching other professionals about normal and dysfunctional behaviour, emotions and functioning.

Clinical psychologists may specialise in work in particular branches of patient care, including surgery, psychiatry, geriatrics, paediatrics, mental handicap, obstetrics and gynaecology, cardiology, neurology, general practice and physical rehabilitation. Whilst the focus of their work is frequently the patient, at times it may encompass the behaviour of the health-care professionals.... clinical psychology

is needed for patients with personality disorders or recurrent psychotic states, where the aim of treatment is to prevent deterioration and help the patient to achieve an optimal adaptation, making the most of his or her psychological assets. Such patients may ?nd more profound and unstructured forms of therapy distressing.

Behavioural therapy and cognitive therapy, often carried out by psychologists, attempt to clarify with the patient speci?c features of behaviour or mental outlook respectively, and to identify step-by-step methods that the patient can use for controlling the disorder. Behaviour therapy is commonly used for AGORAPHOBIA and other phobias, and cognitive therapy has been used for depression and anxiety. (See MENTAL ILLNESS.)... long-term supportive psychotherapy

Drugs, such as CANNABIS and LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE (LSD), that expand consciousness and perception. (See DEPENDENCE.)... psychedelic drugs

Institutions which provide a domestic setting for confused, older people who require 24-hour care, but whose behaviour makes them unsuitable for accommodation in a general purpose facility.... psychogeriatric facility

Relating to the relationships between the behavioural, emotional, mental and physiological characteristics of sex or sexual development.... psychosexual

Any previously existing mental-health problems may worsen under the stress of pregnancy and childbirth, and a woman’s socio-economic circumstances may be an in?uential factor. Mood swings are common in pregnant women and mothers of new babies; sympathetic support from sta? and relations will usually remedy the situation. If postnatal depression lasts for more than a week or two the use of mild ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS may be justi?ed. If depression persists, referral to a psychiatrist may be advisable. Rarely, severe psychiatric problems – puerperal psychosis – may develop during or after pregnancy and referral to an appropriate psychiatric unit is then essential. If the mother’s social circumstances are unsatisfactory, advice should be sought from social services departments. Mothers may also need advice on bene?ts to which they are entitled and how to claim them. Bene?ts Agency o?ces or Citizens’ Advice Bureaux as well as antenatal clinics are useful sources of information.... psychological and social problems

Psychopathic disorder is de?ned by the Mental Health Act 1983 as a persistent disorder or disability of mind (whether or not including signi?cant impairment of intelligence) which results in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct. The cardinal features are as follows: (1) Absence of normal feelings for other people such as love, affection, sympathy and condolence. (2) A tendency to antisocial impulsive acts with no forethought of the consequences. (3) A failure to learn by experience and to be deterred from crime by punishment.

(4) Absence of any other form of mental disorder that would explain the unusual behaviour. The corresponding American terminology is ‘antisocial personality disorder’. (See MENTAL ILLNESS.)... psychopathic

Adjective describing PSYCHOSIS or noun referring to someone with a psychosis.... psychotic

is aimed at stabilising and strengthening the psychological defence mechanisms of those patients who are confronted by a crisis which threatens to overwhelm their ability to cope, or who are struggling with the aftermath of major life events.... short-term supportive psychotherapy

See psychoanalysis.... analysis, psychological

See Wernicke– Korsakoff syndrome.... korsakoff’s psychosis

The measurement of psychological functions using intelligence tests, personality tests, and tests for specific aptitudes, such as memory, logic, concentration, and speed of response.... psychometry

A range of disorders that are related to sexual function. Psychosexual disorders include transsexualism, psychosexual dysfunction, and sexual deviation.... psychosexual disorders

Taken at face value, the term ‘psychosomatic’ simply means the interaction of psyche (mind) and soma (body). As such it is a noncontroversial concept that points out the many ways in which psychological factors affect the expression of physical disorder and vice-versa. Few doubt that stress makes many physical illnesses worse, at least as far as symptoms are concerned. There are also few physical illnesses in which the outcome is not made worse by psychological factors: depression after a heart attack, for example, has a worse e?ect on prognosis than even smoking. A little more problematic is the very popular belief that stress causes relapses of physical disorders, such as cancer; some studies have found this to be the case, others not.

However, calling a condition psychosomatic implies something more – the primacy of the psyche over the soma. Going back to the in?uential theories and practice of PSYCHOANALYSIS as expounded from the 1930s, many diseases have been proposed as the result of psychological factors.These have included PEPTIC ULCER, ULCERATIVE COLITIS, ASTHMA, PSORIASIS and others. In this view, much physical disorder is due to repressed or excessive emotions. Likewise it is also argued that whereas some people express psychological distress via psychological symptoms (such as anxiety, depression and so on), others develop physical symptoms instead – and that they are also at greater risk of physical disease.

The trouble with this view is that medical advances repeatedly show that it goes too far. Stress certainly causes physical symptoms – for example, DYSPEPSIA – but the belief that it caused peptic ulcers vanished with the discovery of the true cause: colonisation of the stomach by the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori. Of course, stress and social adversity affect the risk of many diseases. For example, the incidence of heart disease among UK government employees (civil servants) has been shown to be in?uenced by their social class and their degree of job satisfaction. But we do not know how this works. Some argue that social adversity and stress in?uence how the heart functions (‘He died of a broken heart’). Stress can also affect IMMUNITY but it cannot cause AIDS/HIV and we do not know if there is a link running from stress to abnormal immune function to actual illness.

We can say that psychological factors provoke physical symptoms, and often even explain how this can happen. For example, when you are anxious you produce more epinephrine (adrenaline), which gives rise to chest pain, ‘butter?ies in the stomach’ and PALPITATION. These symptoms are not ‘all in the mind’, even if the trigger is a psychological one. People who are depressed are more likely to experience nearly every physical symptom there is, but especially pain and fatigue. Taken as a whole, psychologically induced symptoms are an enormous burden on the NHS and probably responsible for more doctor visits and sickness absence than any other single cause. Also we can be con?dent that social adversity and stress powerfully in?uence the outcome of many illnesses; likewise, a vast range of unhealthy activities and behaviours such as smoking, excessive alcohol intake, excessive eating, and so on. But we must be careful not to assume that our emotions directly cause our illnesses.... psychosomatic diseases

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS Working in schools and in local education authorities, they are concerned with children’s learning and development. They carry out tasks aimed at improving children’s learning and helping teachers to become more aware of social factors that affect teaching and learning. Chartered educational psychlogists have a graduate degree in psychology and also a teaching quali?cation, with experience; in addition they have completed a one-year postgraduate course in educational psychology with supervised experience. COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGISTS apply psychology to working in collaboration with people across a range of human problems. For example, helping people to manage di?cult life events, relationship issues, BEREAVEMENT and issues raised by mental-health problems. Their usual route to qualify is completing a three-year postgraduate training in counselling psychotherapy. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS have completed a three-year doctorate training course as well as having their ?rst degree in psychology. They work in health and care settings. Their aim is to reduce psychological distress and to promote psychological well-being. They work with individuals, families, groups and organisations: the individuals are people who have problems such as anxiety, DEPRESSION, serious and enduring MENTAL ILLNESS, brain injuries, addiction, child and family problems, LEARNING DISABILITY and the after-effects of trauma. They provide various types of treatment, for example COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY and family therapy, based on psychological theories and research. They also carry out research, training, consultation with other professionals involved with clients, and supervision of colleagues.

(See also NEUROSIS; PSYCHOTHERAPY.) FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGISTS work in the

criminal and justice ?elds, applying psychological theory to aspects of legal processes in courts, criminal investigation, and understanding and treating psychological problems associated with criminal behaviour. They will have completed an accredited training course in forensic psychology. HEALTH PSYCHOLOGISTS apply psychological methods to studying behaviour relevant to health, illness and care including health promotion and education. OCCUPATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS are concerned with how people perform at work and how organisations function. They work in management, personnel, selection and careers advice. They have a postgraduate degee in occupational psychology and will have had to undertake three years’ supervised practice.... types of psychologist

A disorder in which there is interference with the sexual response for no physical cause.... psychosexual dysfunction

Drugs that have an effect on the mind, including hallucinogenic drugs, sedative drugs, sleeping drugs, tranquillizer drugs, and antipsychotic drugs.... psychotropic drugs

adj. describing drugs that induce an altered state of consciousness or perception. Psychedelic drugs, which include *lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and *cannabis, are *hallucinogens and are used legally only for medical or scientific purposes.... psychedelic

A system of ideas developed by Sigmund Freud that explains personality and behaviour in terms of unconscious wishes and conflicts. The main emphasis was on sexuality. Freud believed that a child passes through 3 stages in the first 18 months of life: oral, anal, and genital. After this, the child develops a sexual attraction to the parent of the opposite sex and wants to eliminate the other parent (Oedipus complex). Sexual feelings become latent around age 5 but reemerge at puberty. Psychological problems may develop if fixation occurs at a primitive stage. Modern psychoanalysis has progressed from these ideas and is generally based on the observation that most emotional problems are caused by childhood experiences. Psychoanalysis attempts to free the individual from the past, helping him or her to become a real person in the present. Psychoanalytic theory is decreasing in influence.... psychoanalytic theory

the branch of psychology concerned with all human activities relating to knowledge. More specifically, cognitive psychology is concerned with how knowledge is acquired, stored, correlated, and retrieved, by studying the mental processes underlying attention, concept formation, information processing, memory, and speech. Cognitive psychology views the brain as an information-processing system operating on, and storing, the data acquired by the senses. It investigates this function by experiments designed to measure and analyse human performance in carrying out a wide range of mental tasks. The data obtained allows possible models of the underlying mental processes to be constructed. These models do not purport to represent the actual physiological activity of the brain. Nevertheless, as they are refined by testing and criticism, it is hoped that they may approach close to reality and gradually lead to a clearer understanding of how the brain operates.... cognitive psychology

the interface between medicine and psychiatry, recognized by the Royal College of Psychiatrists as a specialty of psychiatry. Liaison teams ideally consist of psychiatric nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacists, health-care support workers, and social workers. They are usually located in general hospitals and see patients after *deliberate self-harm or when a mental illness or *delirium is suspected anywhere in the hospital, in order to diagnose and advise on treatment. They offer *psychosocial assessments, treatment plans, medication advice, and advice regarding mental health and capacity legislation, and support ward staff with the management of challenging patients. They also help develop plans for earlier discharges, provide training, and support governance structures.... liaison psychiatry

see PICU.... psychiatric intensive care unit

n. a medically qualified physician who specializes in the study and treatment of mental disorders. In the UK psychiatrists classically qualify by specialist training for at least six years after medical school and *Foundation Programme years.... psychiatrist

adj. 1. of or relating to the *psyche. 2. relating to parapsychological phenomena. 3. describing a person who is allegedly endowed with extrasensory or psychokinetic powers.... psychic

see polydipsia.... psychogenic polydipsia

see Gardner–Diamond syndrome.... psychogenic purpura

adj. relating to muscular and mental activity. The term is applied to disorders in which muscular activities are affected by cerebral disturbance.... psychomotor

see epilepsy.... psychomotor epilepsy

n. the study of the effects of the mind on the functioning of the immune system, especially in relation to the influence of the mind on susceptibility to disease and the progression of a disease.... psychoneuroimmunology

n. a person who behaves in an antisocial way and shows little or no guilt for antisocial acts and little capacity for forming emotional relationships with others. Psychopaths tend to respond poorly to treatment and do not learn from punishment, but many mature as they age. See also antisocial personality disorder. —psychopathic adj. —psychopathy n.... psychopath

n. the branch of psychology that records physiological measurements, such as the electrical resistance of the skin, the heart rate, the size of the pupil, and the electroencephalogram, and relates them to psychological events. —psychophysiological adj.... psychophysiology

the process by which an individual becomes more mature in his or her sexual feelings and behaviour. Gender identity, sex-role behaviour, and choice of sexual partner are the three major areas of development. In Freudian psychoanalysis the phrase is sometimes used specifically for a sequence of stages, supposed by psychoanalytic psychologists to be universal, in which oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages successively occur. These stages reflect the parts of the body on which sexual interest is concentrated during childhood development.... psychosexual development

an interviewing technique that combines psychiatric history taking with elements of problem solving in *psychotherapy: after a psychiatric history has been elicited, the interviewer summarizes the patient’s difficulties and offers potential solutions. It is often used in patients who have presented with *deliberate self-harm, and research suggests that it offers the possibility of reducing repetition rates in such patients.... psychosocial assessment

n. one of the three traits used by the British psychologist Hans Eysenck in his personality model, the others being extroversion and *neuroticism. Psychoticism is a personality pattern typified by aggressiveness and interpersonal hostility. Eysenck believed that high levels of this trait were linked to increased vulnerability to *psychosis but this has never been verified by subsequent research.... psychoticism

combining form denoting cold.... psychro

adj. describing organisms, especially bacteria, that grow best at temperatures of 0–25°C. Compare mesophilic; thermophilic.... psychrophilic

a *psychosis that is triggered by childbirth and usually arises in the first two weeks after giving birth. It affects 1 in 200 women; those suffering from bipolar affective disorder or schizophrenia or those who have a history of puerperal psychosis are at particularly high risk. The symptoms develop very rapidly and the patient needs to be hospitalized, ideally in a mother and baby psychiatric unit to avoid separation; most patients respond well to *antipsychotic medication.... puerperal psychosis

a delusion of having been transformed into a windigo, a mythical monster that eats human flesh. It is often quoted as an example of a culture-specific syndrome (confined to certain North American Indian tribes).... windigo psychosis