Glossary of Children's Mental Health Terms
Following are terms and definitions relevent to children's mental health.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | I | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | W |
Acting Out. Self-abusive, aggressive, violent and/or disruptive behavior.
Acute. Marked by a sudden onset, sharp rise, and lasting a short time, demanding urgent attention.
Adjudicated. Coming under the protection or guardianship and jurisdiction of the court.
Adjustment Disorder. Extreme reactions in adolescents to social demands for establishing personal identity and independence from family. (Page 30)
Advocacy. The process of actively supporting the cause of an individual (case advocacy) or group (class advocacy), speaking or writing in favor of, or being intercessor or defender. Action to assure the best possible services for or intervention in the service system on behalf of an individual or group.
Affect. Feeling, emotion.
Affective. Related to or arising from feelings and emotions.
Affective Disorder. A disorder of mood (feeling, emotion). Refers to a disturbance of mood and other symptoms that occur together for a minimal duration of time and are not due to other physical or mental illness.
Anxiety Disorder. Exaggerated or inappropriate responses to the perception of internal or external dangers.
Appropriate Education. An individual education program specially designed to meet the unique needs of a child who has a disability.
Assessment. See Evaluation.
Attachment Disorder. An attachment disorder is a condition in which individuals have difficulty forming loving, lasting, intimate relationships.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The essential features of this disorder are developmentally inappropriate degrees of inattention, impulsiveness and sometimes hyperactivity.
Autistic Disorder. A disorder (usually appearing by age 3) characterized by lack of communication, lack of social skills, withdrawal and developmental delays.
Avoidance. A symptom of a disorder manifested by avoiding the establishment of new interpersonal contacts to the extent that social functioning is impaired.
Behavioral Disorder. A disorder characterized by displaying behaviors over a long period of time which significantly deviate from socially acceptable norms for the individual's age and situation.
Bipolar Disorder. A mood disorder with elevated mood, usually accompanied by a major depressive episode.
Brain-Injury. A condition in which an individual before, during, or after birth has received an injury to or suffered an infection of the brain. As a result of such organic impairment, there may be disorders that prevent or impede the normal learning process.
Care Coordination. Brokering services for an individual to ensure that their needs and met and their services are not duplicated by the organizations involved in providing care.
Capitated Rates. Remimbursement by insurance companies to care providers that has predetermined amount (cap) of dollars for rendered services.
Case Change. Changing the services for an individual.
Case Management. A service that assists clients to obtain and coordinate community resources such as income assistance, education, housing, medical care, treatment, vocational preparation, and recreation.
Case Manager. An individual who organizes services for a client.
Child Psychiatrist. A physician (M.D.) specializing in mental, emotional, or behavior disorders in children and adolescents. Qualified to prescribe medications.
Child Psychologist. A mental health professional with a Ph.D. in psychology who administer tests, evaluates and treats children's emotional disorders. Cannot prescribe medication.
Child Welfare. A field of social service concerned with the care and well being of children.
Child Welfare Agency. An administrative organization providing protection to children, and supportive services to children and their families.
Childhood Depression. See Major Depression and Depression.
Chronic. Marked by long duration or frequent recurrence.
Clinical Social Worker. A mental health professional trained to provide services to individuals, families, and groups. Cannot prescribe medication.
Collaboration. A helping relationship between a family member and a professional in a reciprocal relationship in which the family and professional share power and responsibility. The relationship is grounded in the belief that the family of a child with an emotional disorder can be a resource to the professional and vice versa.
Community-Based Services. The practice of having the locus of services as well as management and decision-making responsibility at the community level.
Community Support System. An organized system of care to assist adults with long-term psychiatric disabilities to meet their needs and develop their potentials without being unnecessarily isolated or excluded from the community.
Conduct Disorder. Repetitive and persistent patterns of behavior that violate either the rights of others or age appropriate social norms or rules.
Cultural Competence. An awareness and acceptance of cultural differences, an awareness of one's own cultural values, an understanding of the "dynamics of difference" in the helping process, basic knowledge about the client's culture, and the ability to adapt practice skills to fit the client's cultural context.
Custody Relinquishment. The practice of requiring parents to surrender one's child into the custody of the state in order to obtain services at public expense.
Day Treatment. Community-based, non-residential program of services for children with emotional disorders. It is the most intensive program available that still allows the child to remain in the home.
Defensive Behavior. Behavior that is for the purpose of protecting the individual or avoiding unpleasant ideas, thoughts, and consequences.
Delinquency. Violation of law by a child or youth (usually under 18).
Depression. A type of mood disorder characterized by low or irritable mood or loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities over a period of time. (Page 30)
Developmental Disorders. Disorders that have predominate disturbances in normal development of language, motor, cognitive and/or motor skills.
Deviant Behavior. Breaking formal or informal rules or laws relative to social customs or norms, including sexual behavior.
Dual Diagnosis. A diagnosis of an emotional disorder and another disorder such as developmental delay, drug and alcohol use or a mental illness.
Due Process Hearing. A formal legal proceeding presided over by an impartial public official who listens to both sides of the dispute and renders a decision based upon the law.
Eating Disorders. Disorders that are manifested by gross disturbances in eating behavior, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
Elimination Disorders. The essential feature of these disorders are the lack of control over bladder (enuresis) or bowel (encopresis) not caused by a physical disorder.
Emotional Disorder (or Disability). Behavior, emotional, and/or social impairment exhibited by a child or adolescent that consequently disrupts the child's or adolescent's academic and/or developmental progress, family, and/or interpersonal relationships.
Empowerment. The ability to exercise influence and control over the services one's child receives.
Enuresis/Encopresis. See Elimination Disorders.
Evaluation. A process conducted by mental health professionals which results in an opinion about a child's mental or emotional capacity, and may include recommendations about treatment or placement. See Assessment.
Exceptional Children. Children whose performance deviates from the norm (either above or below) to the extent that special programming is needed.
Family Support Program. Programs available in the community that assist children and their families so that children can remain in their homes, and all members of the family can live balanced, healthy lives.
Family Therapy. A treatment model that involves interaction with family members and family interactions as well as with the individual.
Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. A parent-run organization focused on the needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral or mental disorders and their families.
Guidance Counselor. An individual working in a school who is trained to do screening, evaluations, and career and academic advising.
Identity Disorder. Severe subjective distress caused by child's inability to achieve an integrated sense of self.
Inclusion. An educational option for students with disabilities to be educated in a regular classroom in their neighborhood school with all necessary supports provided so that the student can participate fully.
Individualized Education Program (IEP). A federally mandated written individual plan of services for all children with disabilities who qualify for special education. It is developed jointly by parents and school personnel.
Inpatient. Services received while residing in the hospital or residential care facility.
Learning Disorder. A chronic condition that interferes with development, integration and/or demonstration of verbal and/or non-verbal abilities.
Least Restrictive Environment. An educational, treatment or living situation that provides appropriate services or programs for a child with disabilities while imposing as few limitations or constraints as possible.
Mainstreaming. Placement of a child with a disability in the regular classroom for part of the school day.
Major Depression. A mood disorder with a depressed affect.
Managed Care. A system of care that oversees all services to an individual to ensure that proper treatment is provided and treatment is not duplicated.
Medicaid. Title XIX (19) funding for medical services for individuals receiving public assistance, or who have vision impairments or disabilities.
Mental Illness. General term applied to severe emotional problems or psychiatric disorders.
Neurological Impairment. Damage or deficiency to the nervous system of the body.
Neurologist. A physician (M.D.) specializing in diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the nervous system.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. An anxiety disorder manifested by intrusive and persistent thoughts (obsessions) or impulses and compulsive behaviors or rituals (compulsions).
Oppositional Disorder. The covert display of underlying aggression by patterns of obstinate, but generally passive behavior. Children with this disorder often provoke adults or other children by the use of negativism, stubbornness, dawdling, procrastination, and other behaviors.
Outpatient. Treatment available in the community at a local mental health clinic or from private therapists. Children receiving this type of treatment generally live at home.
Parent Training:
- Classes or individual instruction designed to improve parenting skills in such areas as discipline, consistency, and communication; and
- Parent Training and Information (PTI) provides information and assistance to parents so they can be knowledgeable and effective advocates within service and policy systems.
Pediatric RN. A registered nurse specializing in the care of children.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Extreme distortions or delays in the development of social behavior and language.
Phobic Disorders. Disorders that cause extreme and irrational anxiety when encountering particular situations, objects or activities.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Anxiety disorder following a traumatic event.
Psychiatric Nurse. A registered nurse specializing in the care of patients with emotional or psychiatric disorders.
Psychiatric Social Worker. Social worker specializing in work with psychiatric patients and their families.
Psychiatrist. A physician (M.D.) specializing in mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders. Qualified to prescribe medications.
Psychoanalyst. A person who diagnoses and treats emotional disorders through special techniques that explore a patient's mental and emotional history and makeup. This approach to treatment is usually lo
Psychosis. A general term used to describe any of several mental disorders characterized by social withdrawal, distortions of reality, loss of contact with environment and disintegration of personality.
Psychotherapist. A mental health professional who provides psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy. A broad term applied to a variety of approaches to the treatment of mental and emotional disorders.
Residential Treatment. Live-in facilities that provide treatment and care for children with emotional disorders who require continuous medication and/or supervision or relief from environmental stresses.
Respite Services. Temporary care given to an individual for the purpose of providing a period of relief to the primary caregivers. Respite is used to decrease stress in the homes of persons with disabilities or handicaps, thereby increasing caregivers' overall effectiveness.
Schizophrenia. A serious mental disorder characterized by verbal incoherence, severely impaired interpersonal relations, disturbance in thought processes, cognitive deficits, and inappropriate or blunted affect. The child may also exhibit hallucinations or delusions.
School Phobia. Fear of going to school associated with anxiety about leaving home and family members.
School Psychologist. A mental health professional who works in schools.
School Social Worker. A social worker who works in schools. See Social Worker.
Screening. An assessment or evaluation for the purpose of determining the appropriate services for a client.
Serious Emotional or Behavioral Disability/Disorder. Emotional and/or social impairment in a child or adolescent that consequently disrupts the child's or adolescent's academic and/or developmental progress, family and/or interpersonal relationships, and has impaired functioning that has continued for at least one year, or has an impairment of short duration and high severity.
Service Coordination. See Case Management.
Simple Phobia. Characterized by persistent irrational fears of a specific object, activity, or situation.
Social Worker. A professional trained to provide services to individuals, families, and groups.
Social Maladjustment. Extreme difficulty dealing appropriately with other people.
Sociopath. A term sometimes used to describe persons with extreme disregard for and hostility toward society.
Somatization Disorders. A symptom found in a number of childhood disorders in which psychological or social factors contribute to physical symptoms.
Status Offense. Non-criminal behavior of a child such as running away, truancy, and curfew violation, that can result in juvenile court action.
Substance Abuse/Dependence. The misuse of alcohol or drugs.
Support Services. Transportation, financial help, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other specific services to children and families.
Systems of Care. A comprehensive spectrum of mental health and other necessary services are organized into a coordinated network to meet the multiple and changing needs of children with emotional disorders.
Systems Change. Making modifications in the way policy and procedures are made or services are delivered across multiple programs or agencies.
Tourette's Syndrome. A neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscular movements, uncontrollable vocal sounds, and inappropriate words.
Transition. The change from using children's services to using adult services, moving from one program to another, starting or leaving school, or other important life changes.
Transition Services. Services needed by youth in transition, such as:
- Independent Living Skills
- Career Education
- Interpersonal Relationship Skills
- Leisure Time Training
- Vocational Training
- Job Placement
- On-Site Supervision
- Supervised Apartment Living
Treatment. Changing behaviors or other conditions related to the child's emotional or behavioral disorder; and/or helping the individual and his or her family to cope with the disability.
Treatment Modality. The method that is used to treat a child; for example, behavior management is one treatment modality and play therapy is another.
Wechsler Tests. A series of verbal and performance tests widely used in school systems. Three types are used:
- WPPSE: The Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence;
- WAIS-R: The Adult Intelligence Scale (Revised); and
- WISC or WISC-R: The Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised).
Withdrawing Behavior. Behavior characterized by reduced interest in or contact with other people, and can include absence of speech, regression to babyhood, exhibition of many fears, depression, refusing contacts with other people.
Wraparound Services. The coordination of delivery of services to children and their families that is individually tailored to each case with the goal of keeping the family together in the community and being included in normalized school settings.
The majority of the information in this glossary is taken from the text of Taking Charge.
Certain terms were defined by experts in the field. These include the definition of "exceptional children" by Richard J. Sonnen, Ed.D., Department Head, Special Studies, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon; "community support systems" by the Department of Health and Human Services Steering Committee on the Chronically Mentally Ill, 1980; and "emotional disability," "serious emotional disorder," and "behavior disorder" by Vermont Child and Adolescent Services System Program (CASSP). The definitions of "schizoid disorder" and "schizophrenic disorder" are taken from Behavior Disorders in Infants, Children, and Adolescents edited by John M. Reisman (1986), New York: Random Hourse. Another reference source is Women and Psychotheraphy: An Assessment of Research and Practice edited by Annette Brodsky and Rachel Hare-Mustin (1980), New York: Guilford Press. |
