Chapter 22: Psychiatric Emergencies

Question 1

how a person functions or acts in response to his or her environment

Answer 1

behavior

Question 2

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

Answer 2

behavioral crisis

Question 3

The basic activities a person usually accomplishes during a normal day, such as eating, dressing, and bathing

Answer 3

activities of daily living

Question 4

A persistent mood of sadness, despair, and discouragement; may be a symptom of many different disorders, or it may be a disorder on its own.

Answer 4

depression

Question 5

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 homicidal, suicidal, or has a psychotic episode

Answer 5

psychiatric emergency

Question 6

An illness with psychological or behavioral symptoms and/or impairment in functioning caused by a social, psychological, genetic, physical, chemical, or biologic disturbance

Answer 6

psychiatric disorder

Question 7

Temporary or permanent dysfunction of the brain, caused by a disturbance in the physical or physiologic functioning of brain tissue

Answer 7

organic brain syndrome

Question 8

A disorder in which there is no known physiologic reason for the abnormal functioning of an organ or organ system

Answer 8

functional disorder

Question 9

A mental disorder characterized by the loss of contact with reality

Answer 9

psychosis

Question 10

A condition of disorientation, confusion, and possible hallucinations coupled with purposeless, restless physical activity

Answer 10

agitated delirium

Question 11

A change in the way a person thinks and behaves that may signal disease in the central nervous system or elsewhere in the body

Answer 11

altered mental status