• Abuse (drug, alcohol, chemical, substance or psychoactive substance): A group of terms in wide use but of varying meaning. In DSM-IV, ‘psychoactive substance abuse’ is defined as a ‘maladaptive pattern of use indicated by … continued use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent social, occupational, psychological or physical problem that is caused or exacerbated by the use [or by] recurrent use in situations in which it is physically hazardous’.
  • Addiction, Drug or Alcohol: Repeated use of a psychoactive substance or substances, to the extent that the user (referred to as an addict) is periodically or chronically intoxicated, shows a compulsion to take the preferred substance (or substances), has great difficulty in voluntarily ceasing or modifying substance use, and exhibits determination to obtain psychoactive substances by almost any means.
  • Alcohol and drug dependence: A cluster of physiological, behavioural and cognitive phenomena in which the use of alcohol or drugs takes on a much higher priority for a given individual than other behaviours that once had greater value.
  • Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorders: Conditions resulting from different patterns of alcohol consumption include acute alcohol intoxication, harmful alcohol use, the alcohol dependence syndrome, and the alcohol withdrawal state.
  • Anorexia nervosa: A disorder characterized by deliberate weight loss, induced and sustained by the patient.
  • Asperger’s syndrome: A disorder of uncertain nosological validity, characterized by the same kind of qualitative abnormalities of reciprocal social interaction that typify autism, together with a restricted, stereotyped, repetitive repertoire of interests and activities.
  • Autism-Spectrum Disorders: The umbrella term ‘autism spectrum disorders’ (ASDs) covers conditions such as autism, childhood disintegrative disorder and Asperger syndrome.
  • Behavioural disorders: An umbrella term that includes more specific disorders, such as hyperkinetic disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or other behavioural disorders.
  • Bipolar Disorder: Characterized by episodes in which the person’s mood and activity levels are significantly disturbed.
  • Bulimia nervosa: A syndrome characterized by repeated bouts of overeating and an excessive preoccupation with the control of body weight, leading to a pattern of overeating followed by vomiting or use of purgatives.
  • Childhood Autism: A pervasive developmental disorder defined by the presence of abnormal and/or impaired development that is manifest before the age of 3 years, and by the characteristic type of abnormal functioning in all three areas of social interaction, communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviour.
  • Dementia: Dementia is a syndrome due to disease of the brain – usually of a chronic or progressive nature – in which there is disturbance of multiple higher cortical functions, including memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language, and judgement.
  • Depression: Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness and poor concentration.
  • Developmental disorder: An umbrella term covering disorders such as intellectual disability / mental retardation as well as pervasive developmental disorders including autism.
  • Drug Use and Drug Use Disorders: Conditions resulting from different patterns of drug use include acute sedative overdose, acute stimulant intoxication or overdose, harmful or hazardous drug use, cannabis dependence, opioid dependence, stimulant dependence, benzodiazepine dependence, and their corresponding withdrawal states.
  • Epilepsy/Seizures: Epilepsy is a chronic condition, characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures.
  • Generalized Anxiety disorder: Anxiety that is generalized and persistent but not restricted to, or even strongly predominating in, any particular environmental circumstances (i.e. it is “free- floating”).
  • Hyperkinetic disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): The main features are impaired attention and overactivity. Impaired attention shows itself as breaking off from tasks and leaving activities unfinished.
  • Intellectual Disability: A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn and apply new skills (impaired intelligence), with a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning) which started before adulthood, and has a lasting effect on development.
  • Mental disorder prevention: Focuses on reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors associated with mental ill health with the aim of reducing the risk, incidence, prevalence and reoccurrence of mental disorders.
  • Mental Disorders: Mental disorders comprise a broad range of problems, with different symptoms. They are generally characterized, however, by some combination of disturbed thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others.
  • Mental Health: Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual can realize his or her own potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and make a contribution to the community.
  • Mental Health Legislation: Mental health legislation, or mental health provisions integrated into other laws (e.g. anti-discrimination, general health, disability, employment, social welfare, education, housing, and other areas), may cover a broad array of issues including access to mental health care and other services, quality of mental health care, admission to mental health facilities, consent to treatment, freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, freedom from discrimination, the enjoyment of a full range of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and provisions for legal mechanisms to promote and protect human rights (e.g. review bodies to oversee admission and treatment to mental health facilities, monitoring bodies to inspect human rights conditions in facilities and complaint mechanisms).
  • Mental health policy and mental health plan: The official statement of a government which defines the vision and details an organized set of values, principles, objectives and areas for action to improve the mental health of a population.
  • Mental health promotion: “Aims to protect, support and sustain emotional and social well-being and create individual, social and environmental conditions that enable optimal psychological and psychophysiological development and improve the coping capacity of individuals. Mental health promotion refers to positive mental health rather than mental ill health.”
  • Mental Health Services: The means by which effective interventions for mental health are delivered. The way these services are organized has an important bearing on their effectiveness. Typically, mental health services include outpatient facilities, mental health day treatment facilities, psychiatric wards in a general hospital, community mental health teams, supported housing in the community, and mental hospitals.
  • Misuse, drug or alcohol: Use of a substance for a purpose not consistent with legal or medical guidelines, as in the non-medical use of prescription medications.
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder: The essential feature is recurrent obsessional thoughts or compulsive acts.
  • Other behavioural disorders: Unusually frequent and severe temper tantrums and persistent severe disobedience may be present. Disorders of conduct may be characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of dissocial, aggressive or defiant conduct.
  • Pervasive developmental disorders including autism: The features are impaired social behaviour, communication and language, and a narrow range of interests and activities that are both unique to the individual and carried out repetitively.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder: Arises as a delayed or protracted response to a stressful event or situation (of either brief or long duration) of an exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature, which is likely to cause pervasive distress in almost anyone.
  • Psychoactive drug or substance: A substance that, when ingested, affects mental processes, e.g. cognition or affect.
  • Psychological first aid (PFA): Humane, supportive response to a fellow human being who is suffering and who may need support.
  • Psychosis: Characterized by distortions of thinking and perception, as well as inappropriate or narrowed range of emotions.
  • Psychosocial disabilities: Refer to people who have received a mental health diagnosis, and who have experienced negative social factors including stigma, discrimination and exclusion.
  • Respite Care: Temporary provision of care for a person with mental illness, for example dementia, by people other than the primary caregiver.
  • Schizophrenia: A severe mental disorder, characterized by profound disruptions in thinking, affecting language, perception, and the sense of self.
  • Self-harm: A broader term referring to intentional self-inflicted poisoning or injury, which may or may not have a fatal intent or outcome.
  • Stigma: A distinguishing mark establishing a demarcation between the stigmatized person and others attributing negative characteristics to this person. The stigma attached to mental illness often leads to social exclusion and discrimination and creates an additional burden for the affected individual.
  • Suicidal behavior: A range of behaviors that include thinking about suicide (or ideation), planning for suicide, attempting suicide and suicide itself.
  • Suicide: The act of deliberately killing oneself.
  • Suicide attempt: Any non-fatal suicidal behavior, refers to intentional self-inflicted poisoning, injury or self-harm which may or may not have a fatal intent or outcome.
  • Young Onset Dementia: Defined typically as onset before the age of 65 years; a rare condition.