Mental Health Nursing Terminology and Concepts

A series of vocabulary flashcards based on mental health nursing concepts and terminology for exam preparation.

Therapeutic Communication

Techniques used to encourage patient expression and promote understanding, such as using silence, offering self, and encouraging perception descriptions.

Nontherapeutic Communication

Techniques that hinder communication and may negatively affect patient relationships, such as giving false reassurance, rejecting, and making stereotyped comments.

Trauma-Informed Care

A framework for understanding and responding to trauma that aims to create safe environments for healing and recovery.

Suicidal Ideation

Thoughts or plans regarding suicide assessed in patients to determine the level of risk.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A medical treatment for severe mental health conditions, particularly resistant depression, requiring informed consent and monitoring for side effects.

Lithium Toxicity

A condition resulting from excessive lithium levels in the body, characterized by symptoms such as tremors, confusion, and renal function decline.

Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Symptoms that are present in individuals with schizophrenia, such as delusions and hallucinations.

Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Deficits or impairments in individuals with schizophrenia, including flat affect and lack of motivation.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

A disorder characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states in an individual.

Munchausen Syndrome

A psychological disorder where individuals fabricate or induce illness for attention and sympathy.

Antidepressants

Medications used to treat major depressive disorders, which take several weeks to show maximum effects.

Anxiety Disorders

Mental health disorders characterized by excessive fear or anxiety, requiring differentiation between obsessions and compulsions.

Bipolar Disorder

A mental health condition marked by episodes of mania and depression, divided into Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and cyclothymia.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

A mental health disorder characterized by a persistent depressed mood and loss of interest in activities for at least two weeks.

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors like purging.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder marked by severe food intake restriction, intense fear of weight gain, and distorted body image.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A mental health disorder that occurs after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, commonly assessed in military veterans.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A condition characterized by unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) performed to reduce anxiety.

Positive and Negative Symptoms

Terms used to classify symptoms in schizophrenia, with positive symptoms being additions (like hallucinations) and negative symptoms being deficits (like lack of emotion).

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Indications

Primarily used for major depression, schizophrenia, and acute manic episodes.