Chapter 23: Behavioral Health Emergencies

Question 1

Altered Mental Status

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Answer 2

A delayed stress reaction to a prior incident. Often 1+ unresolved issues concerning incident & may have involved physical harm or threat of.

Question 3

Organic Brain Syndrome

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Behavior

Answer 4

How a person functions or acts in response to their environment

Question 5

Functional Disorder

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Behavioral Crisis

Answer 6

The point at which a person’s reactions to events interferes with activities of daily living; this becomes a psychiatric emergency when it causes a major life interruption, such as attempted suicide

Question 7

Activities of Daily Living

Answer 7

The basic activities a person usually accomplishes during a normal day (eating, dressing, bathing)

Question 8

Behavorial Health Emergency

Answer 8

An emergency in which abnormal behavior threatens a person’s own health & safety (or that of another person–ex: when a person becomes suicidal, homicidal, or has a psychotic episode.

Question 9

Psychosis

Answer 9

A mental disorder characterized by the loss of contact with reality

Question 10

Schizophrenia

Answer 10

A complex, difficult-to-identify mental disorder occuring during early adulthood. Symptoms typically become more prominent over time and include delusions, hallucinations, lack of interest in pleasure, & erratic speech

Question 11

Depression

Answer 11

A persistent mood of sadness, despair, & discouragement; may be a symptom of many different mental & physical disorders, may be a disorder on its own

Question 12

Positional Asphyxia

Answer 12

Restriction of chest wall movements and/or airway obstruction can rapidly lead to sudden death

Question 13

Excited Delirium

Answer 13

A serious behavioral condition in which a person exhibits agitated behavior combined w/ disorientation, hallucinations or delusions; also called agitated delirium or exhaustive mania

Answer 14

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