Chapter 20 Flashcards
activities of daily living
The basic activities a person usually accomplishes during a normal day, such as eating, dressing, and bathing
agitated delirium
A condition of disorientation, confusion, and possible hallucinations coupled with purposeless, restless physical activity
altered mental status
A change in the way a person thinks and behaves that may signal disease in the central nervous system or elsewhere in the body
behavior
How a person functions or acts in response to his or her environment
behavioral crisis
The point at which a person’s reactions to events interfere with activities of daily living; this becomes a psychiatric emergency when it causes a major life interruption, such as attempted suicide
depression
A persistent mood of sadness, despair, and discouragement; may be a symptom of many different mental and physical disorders, or it may be a disorder on its own
functional disorder
A disorder in which there is no known physiologic reason for the abnormal functioning of an organ or organ system
organic brain syndrome
Temporary or permanent dysfunction of the brain, caused by a disturbance in the physical or physiologic function of brain tissue
psychiatric disorder
An illness with psychological or behavioral symptoms and /or impairment in functioning caused by a social, psychological, genetic, physical, chemical or biologic disturbance
psychiatric emergency
An emergency in which abnormal behavior threatens a person’s own health and safety or the health and safety of another person, for example when a person becomes suicidal, homicidal, or has a psychotic episode
psychosis
A mental disorder characterized by the loss of contact with reality