Alzheimer's disease
An illness of the brain which causes dementia.
Source: Alzheimer Scotland's website.
Anxiety
A normal reaction necessary to keep us safe, which becomes a problem when it interferes with a person's ability to work, have relationships or socialise with others.
Source: adapted from the Scottish Mental Health First Aid Manual, NHS Health Scotland (2009).
Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A genetically determined condition that affects those parts of the brain that control attention, impulses and concentration.
Source: adapted from the ADHD Information Services website.
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Behavioural problems
Bad behaviour that persists for several months or longer, characterised by repeated disobedience, cheek and aggression, which is more than ordinary childish mischief or adolescent rebelliousness.
Source: adapted from the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.
Bipolar affective disorder
A condition characterised by bouts of severe depression and bouts of mania, also known as manic depressive disorder.
Source: adapted from the Scottish Mental Health First Aid Manual, NHS Health Scotland (2009).
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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic approach that helps people to recognise negative or unhelpful thought patterns and change them to more realistic ones.
Source: adapted from the Scottish Mental Health First Aid Manual, NHS Health Scotland (2009).
Common mental health problems
Symptoms which can be regarded as severe forms of ‘normal’ emotional experiences such as depression, anxiety or panic.
Source: Mental Health Foundation website.
Community Health Partnerships (CHPs)
Partnerships established by NHS Boards to provide a focus for the integration between primary care and specialist services and with social care and ensure that local population health improvement is placed at the heart of service planning and delivery.
Source: adapted from the Community Health Partnership website.
Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs)
Partnerships established to oversee the process by which public services in local authority areas are planned for and provided.
Source: adapted from the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 definition listed on the Improvement Service website.
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Depression
Depression is a mental illness characterised by low mood and aversion to activity. It can affect a person’s behaviour, and also has physical, emotional and cognitive effects.
Source: adapted from the Scottish Mental Health First Aid Manual, NHS Health Scotland (2009).
Dementia
Dementia is the progressive loss of the powers of the brain. There are many kinds of dementia but the most common is Alzheimer's disease.
Source: the Alzheimer’s Scotland website.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
A psychological therapy, developed from cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), for people with borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-harming behaviour or suicidal ideas.
Source: the Mind UK website.
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Eating disorders
A psychological condition characterised by abnormal eating patterns. There are three main forms of eating disorder – anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and overeating or binge eating.
Source: adapted from the Talking About Series, 'Talking About Eating Disorders', NHS Health Scotland (reprinted 2010).
Epilepsy
A neurological condition characterised by a tendency for people to have seizures that start in the brain.
Source: the National Society for Epilepsy website.
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Incapacity benefit
A state benefit paid to those who are unable to work because of illness or disability.
Source: adapted from the Directgov website.
Inequalities (Health)
Differences in health status or in the distribution of health determinants between different population groups.
Source: the World Health Organization website.
Intermediate care
A service provided on a short term basis at home or in a residential setting for people who need some degree of rehabilitation and recuperation.
Source: As defined on the Scottish Government website.
Interpersonal therapy
A short-term therapy that focuses on the relationships in a person’s life and the way these relationships affect a person’s wellbeing.
Source: adapted from the Scottish Mental Health First Aid Manual, NHS Health Scotland (2009).
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Mental capital
The totality of an individual’s cognitive and emotional resources, including their cognitive capability, flexibility and efficiency of learning, emotional intelligence (e.g. empathy and social cognition), and resilience in the face of stress.
Source: the report prepared for Department for Business Innovation and Skills, 'Learning through Life: Future Challenges' (Mental capital and wellbeing project).
Mental disorder
A condition that affects the mind. There are many different types, and they can cause symptoms such as emotional upset, disturbed behaviour and poor memory.
Source: adapted from the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.
Mentally healthy environments
Environments within which individuals and communities are empowered.
Source: Toward a Mentally Flourishing Scotland: Policy and Action Plan (TAMFS).
Mental health
Definition one: an umbrella term to refer to both the concepts of mental health problems and mental wellbeing.
Source: Mental Health Improvement Group on behalf of NHS Health Scotland. 'Mental Health Improvement Terminology and Working Understandings' (2009) (internal paper).
Definition two: a state of (complete) physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Source: World Health Organization official definition.
Mental health improvement
Activity to promote good mental wellbeing in the general population; to reduce the prevalence of common mental health problems; and to improve the quality of life for those experiencing mental health problems or mental illness.
Source: Toward a Mentally Flourishing Scotland: Policy and Action Plan (TAMFS).
Mental health indicators
A set of indicators are intended to allow national monitoring of the state of mental health and the associated contextual factors.
Source: 'Scotland’s Mental Health and Its Context', NHS Health Scotland report.
Mental health literacy
Knowledge about mental disorders.
Source: The British Journal of Psychiatry (2000) 177: 396-401
Mental health problems
Symptoms that meet the criteria for clinical diagnosis of mental illness, or symptoms at a sub-clinical threshold which interfere with emotional, cognitive or social function.
Source: Mental Health Improvement Group on behalf of NHS Health Scotland. Mental Health Improvement Terminology and Working Understandings (2009) (internal paper).
Mental health promotion
Actions to create living conditions that create living conditions and environments that support mental health and allow people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
Source: World Health Organization factsheet.
Mental illness
Clinically recognisable patterns of psychological symptoms or behaviour causing short or long-term ill health, personal distress or distress to others.
Source: ‘Mental Illness The Fundamental Facts’, Mental Health Foundation, London (1993).
Mental wellbeing
Includes aspects of subjective well-being and psychological well-being, and covers both the hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives of wellbeing.
Source: Mental Health Improvement Group on behalf of NHS Health Scotland (2009), 'Mental Health Improvement Terminology and Working Understandings' (Internal Paper).
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Panic attacks
An explosion of high anxiety, strongly associated with a sense of losing control or predicting that the very worst will happen.
Source: adapted from 'Talking About Panic Attacks', NHS Health Scotland (2007).
Personality disorders
When parts of a person’s personality develop in a way that makes it difficult for them to live with themselves and or other people.
Source: adapted from the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.
Phobias
A fear of a situation or thing that is not actually dangerous and which most people do not find troublesome.
Source: the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.
Post-natal depression
A depressive illness which affects women having a baby.
Source: the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.
Presenteeism
The loss in productivity that occurs when employees come to work but function at less than full capacity because of ill-health.
Source: Policy Paper 8, 'Mental Health at Work: Developing the Business Case', the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health report (2007).
Puerperal psychosis
Puerperal psychosis is a form of psychosis, also known as post partum psychosis or post natal psychosis, which occurs following childbirth and is characterised by symptoms that can include hallucinations and delusions.
Source: the puerperal psychosis website.
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Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental illness with symptoms that may include hallucinations, delusions, emotional blunting, apathy and speech difficulties. Schizoprehania is not a split personality.
Source: adapted from the Support in Mind Scotland website.
Self-harm
Self-harm is a behaviour that is used to either express or relieve feelings of distress. It is often not so much about inflicting pain on oneself as stopping emotional pain.
Source: Scottish Mental Health First Aid Manual, NHS Health Scotland (2009).
Social capital
A term that focuses attention on the value of social networks.
Source: Local Government Improvement and Development website glossary.
Social cohesion
The capacity of a society to ensure the well-being of all its members, minimising disparities and avoiding marginalisation.
Source: the report of the high level task force on social cohesion.
Social exclusion
A term that covers, but is broader than, poverty. It relates to being unable to participate fully in normal social activities, or to engage in political and civic life.
Source: the Local Government Improvement and Development website glossary.
Social inclusion
A term often used to describe the process of combating social exclusion. It relates to the ability to fully participate in normal social activities, and engage in political and civic life.
Source: the Local Government Improvement and Development website glossary.
Stigma
Definition one: a sign of disgrace or discredit, which sets a person apart from others.
Source: the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.
Definition two: involves people making unfair moral judgements about other people. Negative judgements and labels can be attached to mental health problems in a wide variety of ways; through blaming people for their mental health problems, shaming people for their mental health problems, calling them names, talking behind their backs etc.
Source: 'Stigma: An International Briefing Paper', World Health Organisation.
Stress
A term used to the feeling people experience when it all seems too much, when they are overloaded and don't feel that they are able to meet all the demands placed upon them.
Source: the Samaritans website.
Substance abuse
The continual misuse of any mind altering substance which severely interferes with an individual's physical and mental health, social situation and responsibilities.
Source: the Mental Health Foundation website.
Suicide
The formal term for taking one’s own life.
Source: the Choose Life website.
Suicide prevention
An umbrella term for the collective efforts of organisations, mental health professionals, and others to reduce the incidence of suicide.
Source:
Supported employment
Supported Employment is a systematic approach that provides flexible support to enable people with disabilities or other disadvantaged groups to secure and maintain paid employment in the open labour market.
Source: the Scottish Union of Supported Employment website.
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