Definitions for Mental Health Assessment Flashcards
Abstract thinking
ability to make associations or interpretations about a situation
Affect
outward expression of one’s emotional state
automatisms
repeated purposeful behaviors often indicative of anxiety, such as drumming fingers, twisting locks of hair, or tapping foot
blunted affect
showing little or slow-to-respond facial expressions
broad affect
displaying a full range of emotional expressions
circumstantial thinking
person eventually gets to the answer
concrete thinking
literal way of thinking
delusion
fixed, false belief not based on reality
flat affect
showing no facial expression
flight of ideas
excessive amount and rate of speech composed of fragmented or unrelated ideas
ideas of reference
client’s inaccurate interpretation that general events are personally directed at them, such as hearing a speech on the news and believing the speech had personal meaning
inappropriate affect
displaying facial expression that is incongruent with mood or situation; often silly or giddy
insight
awareness of one’s own illness and/or situation
judgement
the ability to anticipate the consequences of one’s behavior and make decisions to safeguard one’s well-being and that of others
labile
rapid mood swings from depressed to euphoria with no apparent stimuli
mood
client’s emotional state
neologisms
made up words
psychomotor retardation
overall slowed movements
restricted affect
displaying one type of emotional expression, usually serious or somber
self-concept
the way one views oneself
tangential thinking
wandering off the topic and never providing the information requested
thought blocking
stopping abruptly in the middle of a sentence or train of thought; sometimes unable to continue the idea
thought broadcasting
a delusional belief that others can hear or know what the client is thinking
thought content
What the client actually says
thought insertion
a delusional belief that others are putting ideas or thoughts into the client’s head—that is, the ideas are not those of the client
thought process
How the client thinks
thought withdrawal
a delusional belief that others are taking the client’s thoughts away and the client is powerless to stop it
waxy flexibility
maintenance of posture or position over time when it is awkward or uncomfortable
echolalia
repetition or echoing of words or sounds that you hear someone else say
echopraxia
meaningless repetition or imitation of the movements of others
mutism
inability to speak
hallucination
false sensory perceptions or perceptual experiences that do not really exist
persecutory delusion
A person with persecutory delusions is unable to recognize reality. They strongly believe people or groups, like the government, intend to harm them. These beliefs are often unrealistic or bizarre.
word salad
a confused or unintelligible mixture of seemingly random words and phrases
religiosity
refers to religious activity, dedication, and beliefs. Religious themes are often reported in the content of delusions and hallucinations experienced by people with schizophrenia.
associative looseness
A thought or communication pattern disorder characterized by loose or odd connections between ideas.
paranoia
suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification
magical thinking
the idea that you can influence the outcome of specific events by doing something that has no bearing on the circumstances
clang association
groupings of words, usually rhyming words, that are based on similar-sounding sounds, even though the words themselves don’t have any logical reason to be grouped together.
regression
returning to a former less developed state
euphoric
excessively happy
kneels to pray in front of water fountain; prays during group therapy and during other group activities
religiosity
refuses to eat food that comes on tray stating, “They are trying to poison me”
Paranoia
“when I get out of the hospital I’m going to buy me a sprongle”
Neologism
Does not talk
Mutism
Keeps arm in position the nurse left it after taking blood pressure. Assumed this position for hours.
Waxy Flexibility
“When I speak, presidents and kings listen”
Delusion of grandeur
purposely imitates movements made by others
echopraxia
“I’m going to the circus. Jesus is God. The police are playing for keeps”
associative looseness
“We can’t close the drapes, for if we do, the sun won’t shine”
magical thinking
“test, test, this is a test. I do not jest; we get no rest”
clang association
laughs when told his or her mother has died
inappropriate affect
in response to stressful situation, begins to suck thumb and soils clothing
regression
“get by for anyone just to answer fortune cookies”
word salad
“If the FBI finds me here, Ill never get out alive”
persecutory delusion
stops talking midsentence, tilts head to side, and listens”
hallucination
