Mental Health Services Glossary

Observable, purposeless physical restlessness or increased motor activity—such as pacing, hand-wringing, or pressured sp...

A clinically significant slowing of thought, speech, and physical movement observed in patients, most commonly associate...

The branch of pharmacology concerned with the study and clinical use of medications that affect mood, perception, cognit...

A clinical state characterised by a loss of contact with reality, typically involving hallucinations, delusions, or seve...

A recovery-oriented approach that assists individuals with mental health conditions in developing skills and accessing r...

Environmental or interpersonal factor that contributes to psychological distress or mental health symptoms.

Pharmaceutical agents that affect the mind, behavior, and emotions by altering brain chemistry and neurotransmitter func...

Abbreviation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a psychiatric condition that may develop after exposure to actual or th...

In mental health services, the tendency for an individual to relapse and require repeated hospitalisation or crisis inte...

A collaborative, structured process in which a clinician and patient create a personalised, prioritised plan of coping s...

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - the federal agency responsible for advancing behavioral heal...

A chronic mental health condition characterised by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms—such as hallucinations or del...

The involuntary confinement of a patient alone in a room or area from which they cannot freely exit, used as a last-reso...

The overall clarity of an individual's consciousness and awareness of their environment, assessed as part of the mental...

Documentation format organizing clinical information into Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan sections.

Thoughts about, consideration of, or preoccupation with ending one's own life, ranging from passive wishes to die to act...

A thought process disturbance in which a patient's replies to questions veer off onto loosely related topics and never r...

A neurological side effect of long-term antipsychotic medication use, characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements...

The collaborative relationship between therapist and client characterized by mutual trust, respect, and shared treatment...

Structured treatment environment designed to promote healing through social interaction and community living.

The range of medication blood levels or dosages that produces optimal therapeutic benefit with minimal risk of toxicity....

A psychotic symptom in which an individual believes that their thoughts are being transmitted to and heard by others, do...

A first-rank psychotic symptom in which a patient believes that thoughts not their own are being placed into their mind...

The gradual adjustment of a medication dose to achieve optimal therapeutic effect while minimising adverse side effects.