Terminology

Question 1

Euthymia

Answer 1

A normal mood state

Question 2

Looseness of association

Answer 2

A pattern of thinking that is haphazard, illogical, and confused, and in which connections in thought are interrupted; it is seen primarily in schizophrenic disorders

Question 3

Anorexia

Answer 3

A medical term that signifies a loss of appetite

Question 4

Pressure of speech

Answer 4

A speech pattern characterized by forceful energy manifested in frantic, jumbled speech as when a manic individual struggles to keep pace with racing thoughts

Question 5

Echolalia

Answer 5

Mimicry or imitation of the speech of another person

Question 6

Insight

Answer 6

Understanding and awareness of the reasons for and meaning behind one’s motives and behavior

Question 7

Perseveration

Answer 7

The involuntary repetition of the same thought, phrase, or motor response (e.g. brushing teeth, walking); it is associated with brain damage

Question 8

Delusion

Answer 8

A false belief held to be true even with evidence to the contrary (e.g. the false belief that one is being singled out for harm by others)

Question 9

Apathy

Answer 9

A state of indifference

Question 10

Circumstantial speech

Answer 10

A pattern of speech characterized by indirectness and delay before the person gets to the point or answers a question; the person gets caught up in countless details and explanations

Question 11

Grandiosity

Answer 11

Exaggerated belief in or claims about one’s importance or identity

Question 12

Anxiety

Answer 12

A state of feeling apprehension, uneasiness, uncertainty, or dread resulting from a real or perceived threat whose actual source is unknown or unrecognized

Question 13

Hallucinations

Answer 13

A sensory perception (seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, or touching) for which no external stimulus exists

Question 14

Clang association

Answer 14

The meaningless rhyming of words, often in a forceful manner

Question 15

Compulsion

Answer 15

Repetitive, seemingly purposeless behaviors performed according to certain rules known to the client to temporarily reduce escalating anxiety

Question 16

Affect

Answer 16

The external manifestation of feeling or emotion, which can be assessed by observing facial expression, tone of voice, and body language

Question 17

Flight of ideas

Answer 17

A continuous flow of speech in which the person jumps rapidly from one topic to another

Question 18

Labile

Answer 18

Characterized by rapid shifts; unstable

Question 19

Obsession

Answer 19

An idea, impulse, or emotion that a person cannot put out of his or her consciousness; the condition can be mild or severe

Question 20

Blocking

Answer 20

A sudden obstruction or interruption in the spontaneous flow of thinking or speaking that is perceived as an absence or deprivation of thought

Question 21

Mood

Answer 21

Defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a pervasive and sustained emotion that, when extreme, can markedly color the way the individual perceives the world

Question 22

Flat

Answer 22

Absence or near absence of any signs of affective expression

Question 23

Tangentiality

Answer 23

A disturbance in associative thinking in which the individual goes off the topic. When it happens frequently and the individual does not return to the topic, interpersonal communication shuts down

Question 24

Catatonia

Answer 24

A state of psychologically induced immobilization at times interrupted by episodes of extreme agitation

Question 25

Incongruent

Answer 25

The client’s affect does not correspond to the content of his/her speech

Question 26

Idea of reference

Answer 26

The false impression that outside events have special meaning for oneself

Question 27

Judgment

Answer 27

The ability to make logical, rational decisions

Question 28

Mania

Answer 28

An unstable elevated mood in which delusions, poor judgment, and other signs of impaired reality testing are evident

Question 29

Congruent

Answer 29

The client’s affect “matches” the content of his/her/speech

Question 30

Blunted

Answer 30

Mild restriction in the range and intensity of emotional expression

Question 31

Intellectualization

Answer 31

The use of thinking and talking to avoid emotions and closeness

Question 32

Resiliency

Answer 32

The ability to recover from trauma or change with adaptive coping