Mental Health

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to mental health, focusing on mood spectrum disorders, assessment, and treatment.

Mood

The way a person feels.

Affect

The observable response a person has to his or her feelings.

Mood Spectrum

A continuum of all possible moods that any person may experience.

Mood Disturbances

Disruptions in an individual's ability to function normally.

Affective Instability

A condition that presents as a combination of agitation, sadness, elation, and blunting.

Severe Melancholy

An extreme form of low mood on the mood spectrum.

Mania Spectrum

States of euphoric or agitated affect, which may include perceptual disturbances.

Risk Factors for Mood Disorders

Includes stress, early trauma, neglect, abuse, and family history.

Assessment Indicators in Mood Disorders

Persistent mood disturbance, functional impairment, and disturbed vegetative functioning.

Major Depressive Disorder

Severe depressive mood symptoms that last at least 2 weeks and interfere with functioning.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Low-level depressive feelings lasting most of each day for at least 2 years.

Suicidal Ideation

Thinking about killing oneself.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

First-line therapy for depression with a rare risk of serotonin syndrome.

Serotonin Syndrome

A condition caused by over-activation of central serotonin receptors.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A treatment for severe depression involving electrical stimulation of the brain.

Bipolar Disorder

A mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings, including manic and depressive episodes.

Self-injury

Self-inflicted harm to relieve negative feelings or to achieve a positive mood.

Postvention

Interventions aimed at supporting survivors after a suicide has occurred.

Interpersonal relationships

Connections and interactions with other people that can be impacted by mood disorders.