Psychiatric definitions Flashcards
Somatisation disorder
Multiple physical symptoms for at least 2 years
Patient refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results
Illness anxiety disorder
persistent belief in the presence of an underlyingserious DISEASE, e.g. cancer
patient again refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results
Conversion disorder
Typically loss of motor or sensory function
The patient does not consciously feign the symptoms (factitious disorder) or seek material gain (malingering)
May be indifferent to their apparent disorder – la belle indifference
Dissociative disorder
dissociation is a process of ‘separating off’ certain memories from normal consciousness
in contrast to conversion disorder involves psychiatric symptoms e.g. Amnesia, fugue, stupor
dissociative identity disorder (DID) is the new term for multiple personality disorder as is the most severe form of dissociative disorder
Factitious disorder
also known as Munchausen’s syndrome
the intentional production of physical or psychological symptoms
Malingering disorder
Fraudulent simulation of exaggeration of symptoms with the intention of financial or other gain
Cluster A personality disorders
‘Odd or eccentric’
- Paranoid
- Schizoid
- Schizotypal
Cluster B personality disorder
Dramatic, emotional or erractic
- Antisocial
- Borderline (emotionally unstable)
- Histrionic
- Narcissictic
Cluster C personality disorder
Anxious and fearful
- Obsessive-compulsive
- Avoidant
- Dependent
Cotard syndrome
is characterised by a person believing they are dead or non-existent. It tends to be related to depression.
Capgras syndrome
is characterised by a person believing their friend or relative had been replaced by an exact double.
Couvade syndrome
is also known as ‘sympathetic pregnancy’. It affects fathers, particularly during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, who suffer the somatic features of pregnancy.
De Clerambault’s syndrome
is characterised by a person believing that another individual (often a celebrity) is deeply in love with them. It typically affects females.
Othello syndrome
is when the patient believes their partner is cheating on them. They may be threatening or stalk their partner. This seems to affect males more than females.
Charles-Bonnet Syndrome
Is characterised by persistent or recurrent complex hallucinations (usually visual or auditory) occurring in clear consciousness.
Usually on a background of visual impairment
Insight preserved
OCD definition
Presence of either obsessions or compulsions but commonly both. Can cause significant functional impairment and/or distress
Obsession definition
Unwanted intrusive thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters the persons mind
Compulsions definition
Repetitive behaviours or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform
- Can be overt and observable by others- checking door is locked multiple times
- Covert e.g. repeating phrase in ones mind
- Performed to prevent some objectively unlikely event usually harm to them or others
Usually recognised as pointless or ineffectual
Circumstantiality
This is demonstrated by the long-winded nature of her answer. Non linear thought pattern
circuitous and non-direct thinking or speech that digresses from the main point of a conversation
Still some link
Derailment
Associative looseness, also known as derailment, refers to a thought-process disorder characterized by a lack of connection between ideas. Associative looseness often results invague and confusing speech, in which the individual will frequently jump from one idea to an unrelated one.
Pressure of speech
increased production of spontaneous speech
Tangentiality
describes the phenomenon in which a person constantly digresses to random, irrelevant ideas and topics.
SSRI to SSRI
Citalopram
Escitalopram
Sertraline
Paroxetine
Gradually reduce then stop and initiate next SSRI
Flouxetine to SSRI
Withdraw and leave a gap of 4-7 days before starting low dose SSRI
SSRI to TCA
Cross tapering is recommended (current dose reduced slowly, whilst the dose of new is increased slowly)
SSRI to SNRI
Citalopram
Escitalopram
Sertraline
Paroxetine to – Venlafaxine
Cross-taper cautiously. Start venlafaxine 37.5mg daily and increase very slowly
Fluoxetine to venlafaxine
Withdraw and then start venlafaxine 37.5mg each day and increase very slowly
Acamprosate
Effective in preventing alcohol relapse – ‘anti-craving’
Acamprosate has a minimal side-effect and risk profile and is safe in combination with alcohol.
TDS
Buprenorphine
Mixed opioid agonist/antagonist
Sublingual
Alternative to methadone as less sedating
Chlordiazepoxide
is a benzodiazepine often used as part of a reducing regime during alcohol detoxification.
Diazepam
Diazepam is typically used as an anxiolytic but is also used as part of a reducing regime during alcohol detoxification.
Disulfiram (Antabuse)
is an irreversible inhibitor of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
Deterrent to prevent alcohol relapse – causes unpleasant reaction if mixed with alcohol
Can cause life threatening reaction if alchol drank so use with caution
Methadone
is an opioid mu receptor agonist and is the commonest drug used as opiate replacement therapy for patients with opioid dependence syndrome. It is taken in liquid form.
Naltrexone
Is an opioid receptor antagonist that can be used to aid with relapse prevention in previously opioid-dependent patients.
Ondansetron
5-HT3 used in conjuction during alcohol detoxification to managed symptoms
