Term

Definition

Source

Crisis

“a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life” (Dictionary.com, nd).

Dictionary.com

Mental health 

“is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community” (WHO, 2022).

World Health Organization

Anxiety disorders

“Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness and involve excessive fear or anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable, and a number of effective treatments are available. Treatment helps most people lead normal productive lives” (Muskin, 2021).

American Psychiatric Association

Depression

“is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home” (Torres, 2020).

American Psychiatric Association

Eating disorders

“are serious health conditions that affect both your physical and mental health. These conditions include problems in how you think about food, eating, weight and shape, and in your eating behaviors” (Mayo Clinic, 2023).

Mayo Clinic

Suicide

“is defined as death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with intent to die as a result of the behavior” (NIMH, 2022).

National Institute of Mental Health

Self-harm

“is an increasingly recognised phenomenon and one of the strongest predictors of suicide, which continues to be one of the leading causes of death in young people worldwide. Self-harm can take many forms and may present with or without suicidal intent and both in the context of mental disorder, and without” (Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, n.d.).

Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Addiction

Is a “compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence: the state of being addicted” (Merriam-Webster, n.d).

Merriam-Webster.com

Panic Attack

“is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying” (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

Mayo Clinic

Paranoia

“is the feeling that you’re being threatened in some way, such as people watching you or acting against you, even though there’s no proof that it’s true. It happens to a lot of people at some point. Even when you know that your concerns aren’t based in reality, they can be troubling if they happen too often” (Frysh, 2021).

WebMD

Phobias

“is an irrational fear of something that’s unlikely to cause harm. The word itself comes from the Greek word ‘phobos,’ which means ‘fear’ or ‘horror’” (Lawrenz, O’Keefe, and Raypole, 2022).

Healthline

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

“is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances” (Taylor-Desir, 2022).

American Psychiatric Association

Personality Disorders

“is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work and school” (Mayo Clinic, 2016).

Mayo Clinic

Stress

“is our body’s response to pressure. Many different situations or life events can cause stress. It is often triggered when we experience something new or unexpected that threatens our sense of self or when we feel we have little control over a situation” (Mental Health Foundation, 2021)

Mental Health Foundation

Suicidal Ideation

“is when you think about killing yourself. The thoughts might or might not include a plan to die by suicide.

You may have heard suicidal ideation referred to as "suicidal thoughts." Not everyone with suicidal ideation acts on it” (Sreenivas, 2022).

WebMD

Trauma

“is a term used to describe the challenging emotional consequences that living through a distressing event can have for an individual. Traumatic events can be difficult to define because the same event may be more traumatic for some people than for others” (CAMH

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

References

Dictionary.com. (n.d.). “Crisis”. In Dictionary.com. Retrieved May 11, 2023, from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/conspiracy-theory

Frysh, P. (2021). Paranoia: Symptoms, causes, and treatments. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/why-paranoid

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2018, May 4). Panic attacks and panic disorder. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2016, September 23). Personality disorders. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/personality-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20354463

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). “Addiction.” In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 12, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addiction

Muskin, P. (2021, June). What are anxiety disorders?. American Psychiatry Association https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders

Osborn, C. O. (2022, January 4). Can I be afraid of phobias? common or unique fears explained. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/list-of-phobias

Self-Harm & Suicide. ACAMH. (2023, March 31). https://www.acamh.org/topic/self-harm-suicide/

Stress. Mental Health Foundation. (2021). https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/stress

Sreenivas, S. (2022). What is suicidal ideation?. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/suicidal-ideation

Taylor-Desir, M. (2022). What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?.American Psychiatric Association https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd

Torres, F. (2020, Oct.). What Is Depression? American Psychiatry Association https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders

 trauma. CAMH. (n.d.). https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/trauma

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022). Suicide. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide

World Health Organization. (2022, June 17). Mental health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response