Mental Health Abbreviations and Definitions

Question 1

MSE

Answer 1

Mental Status Exam

Question 2

MMSE

Answer 2

Mini Mental Status Exam

Question 3

AMS

Answer 3

Altered Mental Status

Question 4

PHQ9

Answer 4

Patient Health Questionnaire

Question 5

DSM

Answer 5

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

Question 6

MDD

Answer 6

Major Depressive Disorder

Question 7

PTSD

Answer 7

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Question 8

GAD

Answer 8

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Question 9

NOS

Answer 9

Not otherwise specified

Question 10

PMDD

Answer 10

Pre-menstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Question 11

Circumstantiality

Answer 11

Someone who takes a long time to come to the point. However, the side topics or extra detail do pertain to the topic. Note: People without mental disorders do this.

Question 12

Derailment

Answer 12

Speech where a person shifts from one topic to another, with the second topic being very loosely associated or completely unassociated. Occurs between sentences not in the middle of a sentence

Question 13

Flight of ideas

Answer 13

Rapid movement of thoughts and speech often with changes in subject. The changes in subject can be based on understandable associations or distractions but do not create a coherent conversation. Often more pronounced in patients that are manic.

Question 14

Neologisms

Answer 14

As it sounds, “new words” basically. The person may make up new words or significantly distort existing words so that they are hardly recognizable. Common in schizophrenia.

Question 15

Word salad

Answer 15

A random collection of words. Like they were thrown in a bowl and mixed. No logical connection or meaning. Common in Schizophrenia

Question 16

Blocking

Answer 16

Sudden stop in speech without making the point. Person usually states they lost their train of thought. Often more pronounced in patients with schizophrenia

Question 17

Confabulation

Answer 17

Making up or fabricating facts in response to questioning. This is usually done to cover up deficiencies in memory. Often occurs in patients with amnesia

Question 18

Preservation

Answer 18

Persistent repetition of words or ideas. Occurs commonly in patients with schizophrenia

Question 19

Echolalia

Answer 19

The act of being a copy cat and repeating everything another person says. Occurs in mania and schizophrenia

Question 20

Clanging

Answer 20

The choice of words based on a repeated sound

Question 21

Compulsions

Answer 21

Acts or behaviors that a person feels compelled to perform, often to release tension or anxiety

Question 22

Obsessions

Answer 22

Repeating thoughts of impulses that a person feels are unacceptable

Question 23

Phobias

Answer 23

An irrational fear accompanied by an avoidance of the thing that causes fear

Question 24

Depersonalization

Answer 24

When a person feels that they have changed, are not themselves or feel detached from their body or mind

Question 25

Delusion

Answer 25

False personal beliefs that are not shared with others and are usually not amenable to change

Question 26

Types of delusions

Answer 26

delusions of persecution, delusions of grandiosity, delusions of reference, thought insertion, thought broadcast, somatic delusions

Question 27

Delusions of reference

Answer 27

The belief that every event and conversation has personal meaning

Question 28

Thought insertion

Answer 28

The belief that someone or something is feeding information or thoughts into their brain.

Question 29

Thought broadcast

Answer 29

The belief that someone or something is reading their thoughts or projecting it for everyone else to see and/or hear

Question 30

Somatic delusions

Answer 30

Believe they have some disease or affliction

Question 31

Illusion

Answer 31

Incorrect interpretations of existing external stimuli

Question 32

Hallucinations

Answer 32

Sensory perceptions of a person that are not based on real external stimuli. Can occur with any of the senses, although auditory and visual are most common