When the person you look after is ill and you become involved with mental health services, you may hear and see and lot of words or phrases which are new to you. This section tries to explain some of them.

Acute

A severe, short term episode of mental illness.

Advance Directive

A document completed by a person, setting out their wishes in the event of them not being able to decide for themselves (eg a treatment they do not wish to receive, the people they want contacted and any other personal arrangements)

Assertive Outreach

A service in the community to engage people who need support but do not engage with services.

Care Plan

A plan agreed between the individual, health and social care professionals and carer(s) that specifies the services to be provided.

Carers Assessment

This is an assessment of the needs of the person looking after someone with mental ill health. It is not an assessment of the care they provide.

Chronic

An enduring, long term mental illness.

Community Resource Team (CRT)

A non-medical team which works alongside the Community Mental Health Team to provide practical support.

Compulsory admission

Admission to hospital under the Mental Health Act for assessment and/or treatment.

Consent

Permission given by a person to others to share information or to act on their behalf.

Care Programme Approach (CPA)

A process for making sure that the needs of people with serious mental health problems are properly assessed, care plans agreed and reviewed. It ensures that support is co-ordinated and that the person themselves and other significant people are fully involved.

Crisis Resolution

A community service which aims to resolve difficulties so that people do not have to go into hospital.

Day Hospital

Provides treatment and support without requiring people to stay in hospital.

Delusions

Persistent thoughts which have no actual basis in reality, but which the individual believes and acts upon.

Dual Diagnosis

The term used to describe someone who has either a mental health problem and drug or alcohol dependency, OR a mental health problem and a learning disability.

Early Intervention

An approach where services aim to act quickly in order to prevent problems becoming worse in the longer term. More specifically a service for young people aged 14-35 who experience a first episode of psychosis.

ECT

Electro Convulsive Therapy

EDT

(Social Care) Emergency Duty Team

Extra-pyramidal side effects

The side effects of some drugs where the person develops stiffness and trembling.

Hallucinations

Experience of sights, sounds, smells and physical sensations that are not real to anyone else.

Health Care

Services provided by doctors, nurses, pharmacists etc to relieve symptoms which accompany a particular diagnosis.

IMHA

Specialist advocates who are trained to specifically work within the framework of the Mental Health Act to meet the needs of patients.

MHRT

Mental Health Review Tribunal.

Neurosis

A mental illness that has anxiety at its basis, but during which the person maintains their self-awareness (insight).

NSF

National Service Framework: the Government's plans and standards for mental health services.

Organic

A mental illness which appears to have a physical origin (eg dementia)

Paranoid

Where someone displays irrational thoughts of being victimised or harmed in some way.

Personality Disorder

A group of disorders involving long-standing attitudes, behaviours and ways of viewing the world which are outside socially acceptable limits.

Psychosis

Mental illness in which a person's ability to think, feel and communicate become distorted and disconnected from reality, and where there is evident loss of insight into their own behaviour.

Psychosomatic

A disease that has physical symptoms but also has some psychological factors.

Registrar

A doctor undergoing specialised training.

Rehabilitation (rehab)

Supported recovery from severe illness.

Section/sectioned

This refers to a particular part of the Mental Health Act, which is the legislation under which a person can be compulsorily admitted to hospital.

Self harm

Acts which cause personal harm to the individual.

Service User

A person using metal health and social care services - they may also be referred to as a patient or client.

Social Care

Services provided to support the needs of basic living and independence. This could include day care, support groups, respite care and child care.

Talking treatments

Includes various forms of therapy: psychotherapy, behaviour treatments etc.

Therapeutic Alliance

The trust and positive collaboration between service user and worker (eg service user and CPN, carer and carer's worker.

Ward round

Meeting of the hospital ward staff with the Consultant Psychiatrist, at which progress, care and treatment are discussed and co-ordinated, can also be called MDT-Multi-disciplinary Team Meeting.