Age UK Camden - Glossary
This is a list of some of the terms, abbreviations and organisations that you may come across in relation to mental health. Terms marked with an asterisk have a medical meaning and should be used with care. Some, such as anxiety and depression, are in common use but others are diagnoses that are best made by someone who is medically qualified. If you want to know more about diagnostic terms and the debates that often surround them, see the series of information booklets published by Mind.
Advocacy
An advocate helps another to express needs and wishes. Advocacy can involve speaking on behalf of a user or supporting an individual to present his or her own case.
A&E Liaison
CNWL Team at Northwick Park Hospital Accident and Emergency working with people who appear to need mental health services.
Anxiety*
Uneasiness that may be general or due to something specific. If specific the threat might be real, exaggerated or imaginary. Physical symptoms that may be due to anxiety include aching muscles, fast beating heart, sweating and dizziness. Someone who is anxious may have their mind full of busy repetitive thoughts. These can make it hard to concentrate, relax or sleep.
AOT
Assertive Outreach Team - works in the community with users who need mental health services and find it difficult to engage with them.
ASW
Approved Social Worker - has special training and qualification in mental health and is involved in assessing whether people need to stay in hospital against their wishes. Their brief is to support the patient's rights during the assessment.
Atkins House
Office of Community Mental Health Teams - West and South Sectors.
BICS
Brief Intervention Counselling Service - CNWL provided counselling service based in GPs' surgeries.
Bipolar disorder*
Usually diagnosed when someone's moods swing from deep depression to mania. Also called manic depression.
Bridge, The
The CNWL Bridge Day Centre for users with severe and enduring mental health problems.
CAMHS
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services
Care in the Community Supporting
users to live in the community by providing local services, rather than keeping large numbers of people in hospitals.
Care Pathway
Refers to the route that someone may follow through different services, e.g. via the GP, into hospital and then into community-based services.
Care Plan
A plan of treatment or action agreed with a service user, following an assessment meeting in which all the relevant people are involved. The user should take an active part in the planning.
Care Programme Approach (CPA)
The requirement for users discharged from hospital into ongoing support to have a care plan.
Carers' Support
National charity for carers, has a project to support carers of people with mental health issues.
CBT
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. A form of psychotherapy that focuses on challenging habitual thought-patterns and so changing behaviour. It is the talking treatment most likely to be offered through the NHS by psychologists.
Counselling
Counselling offers emotional support and help to understand feelings. It can also help to explore what lies behind these feelings to develop personal understanding and inner strengths.
CPA
Care Programme Approach
CPN
Community Psychiatric Nurse - A nurse trained in mental health working in the community, usually as part of a CMHT.
CRT
Crisis Resolution Team - aims to respond to mental health crises promptly in order to reduce the need for hospitalisation.
Day Hospital
A centre for treatment and support that people attend during the day only.
Delusion
A delusion is usually defined as a belief that is not open to question and is not shared by others, e.g. that neighbours are pouring poison through the ceiling.
Depression*
A term that covers a broad range of psychological distress. In less severe forms depression may manifest as lowered mood that doesn't stop normal life but makes everything seem harder and less worthwhile. More severe depression may lead to much thinking about self-harm, attempts at suicide or actual death.
Dual Diagnosis
Used when someone has been diagnosed with more than one kind of difficulty, either mental health problems and drug or alcohol abuse, or else mental health problems and a learning disability.
Hallucination
Hearing, seeing or possibly smelling something which does not seem to relate to anything in the environment, e.g. hearing voices, is usually classed as a hallucination.
PCT
Primary Care Trust - NHS body that funds GPs and channels funds to hospitals and other services.
Honeypot Lane
The Community Mental Health Team - East Sector is based in the Honeypot Lane Centre, Stanmore.
In-patient
A person who has been admitted to hospital and allocated a bed. Someone may be admitted to a mental health ward as a voluntary patient or under Section.
Intensive Community Support Team
Provides practical support to people with serious long-term mental health difficulties, with the aim of helping them to live independently in their own homes.
Institutionalised
Usually applied to people who have lost the ability to live independently through spending too long in prison, hospital or another setting where choices have been limited.
Mania*
A state of high excitement, possibly with uncontrolled behaviour such as spending huge amounts of money or driving recklessly. May also involve delusions or hallucinations.
Manic Depression*
Now more usually known as bipolar disorder.
Marlborough Hill
Mental health resource centre that houses a drop-in centre for users, runs courses and provides activities.
Medical Model
The medical model encourages people to view issues such as mental distress as illnesses. The social model emphasises the role of society and other people in creating or maintaining an issue.
OT
Occupational Therapy / Therapist - works with users in the community and in hospitals to promote living skills such as budgeting, shopping and cooking. Also runs activity and therapeutic groups.
Out-patient
A person attending a clinic for consultation, advice or treatment but not occupying a hospital bed.
PALS
Patient Advice and Liaison Service - Provided by each NHS Trust to help people wishing to make a complaint, or to raise an issue without making a formal complaint.
Panic Attack*
A bout of intense terror that may include involving shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, trembling, faintness and sweating. Attacks could be in response to something most people are not anxious about.
Paranoia*
Having a fixed belief that some person or organisation is against one.
PCT
Primary Care Trust.
Phobia*
An intense fear response to a situation or object that would not overwhelm most other people, e.g. cars or animals. Some people know how a phobia started and others are unable to explain it.
Phoenix Project
A project run by Rethink which helps mental health service users find work, both voluntary and paid, and supports them in employment.
PPI Forum
Patient & Public Involvement Forum - each NHS Trust has a Forum to monitor and represent the views of users, carers and the general public.
Psychiatrist
A medical doctor who has a specialist qualification in mental health. They are the only mental health professionals who prescribe medication.
Psychologist
Clinical psychologists usually work with people in a hospital or clinic setting. They are trained in assessing people's mental health issues and offer treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy.
Psychotherapy
Like counselling, a talking therapy which can help people understand their feelings and their responses to other people and events. There are many different styles of therapy and the number of sessions involved varies greatly.
Psychosis*
Used by psychiatrists to mean that a person, in their view, cannot sufficiently distinguish her or his own intense thoughts, ideas, perceptions and imaginings from what the majority accept as reality. See also Schizophrenia.
Rethink
Formerly the National Schizophrenia Fellowship. Nationwide organisation which supports users of mental health services and their carers and runs a variety of projects.
Risk Management
The assessment of the likelihood of hurting self or others, designing and delivering a response appropriate to the perceived risk.
RMN
Registered Mental Nurse.
Rosedale Court
Long- and short-stay residential and rehabilitation unit for older people with severe and enduring mental health problems.
Roxbourne House / Lodge
Long- and short-stay residential and rehabilitation unit for people under 65 with severe and enduring mental health problems.
Schizophrenia*
Defined as a form of psychosis. May be diagnosed when someone experiences one or more 0of the following: hearing voices and other hallucinations, paranoia and delusions.
Sectioned
Being admitted to hospital against one's wishes under the 1983 Mental Health Act. Refers to the Section of the Act defining the length and purpose of the admission.
Secure Unit
A unit where access to the community is restricted, more so than for people ordinarily under Section. Someone may be sent to a secure unit if it is felt that hospital resources are not sufficient to contain them, e.g. if they have committed a violent criminal offence.
Self-Help Group
A group that meets for sharing and mutual support about a particular issue and is often organised by the members themselves. Some groups focus on a mental health topic like anxiety or depression, others deal with the problems and pressures of life situations such as having cancer.
Statutory Services
Services that are provided by the NHS or local council or contracted out to another organisation.
Support Group
Similar to a self-help group but for people who have a common background or interest. For example, mothers of young children, gay men or carers of people with a specific problem. May be conducted by a group leader rather than run by the members themselves
Talking Therapies
Approaches such as counselling and psychotherapy that work by talking about issues and do not prescribe medication.
Voluntary Patient
Someone who has chosen to be admitted to a mental health ward and is free to leave. However, some voluntary patients may be warned that they will be Sectioned if they do not accept the hospital treatment.
Voluntary Sector
Charities and other non-profit organisations that provide services. May be funded by the local council, health services or charitable trusts, or a combination of all of these.
User
In this context, consumer of mental health services. Sometimes Service User.