Author: Glossary
-
Psychodrama
A technique of group psychotherapy conceived and practiced by Jacob L. Moreno (1889–1974), in which individuals express their own or assigned emotional problems through dramatization. A therapeutic technique used by psychologists, which establishes a secure, nonthreatening environment in which the person can relive some of the painful experiences that are associated with his or her…
-
Psychobiology
A school of psychiatric thought that views biological, psychological, and social life experiences of a person as an integrated unit. Associated with the psychiatrist Adolf Meyer (1866–1950), who introduced the term in the United States in 1915. The broad eclectic approach to human behavior, emphasizing the pluralistic determinants of behavior and the necessity for maintaining…
-
Psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy
A form of psychotherapy that uses a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques, some of which are used in psychoanalysis (e.g., use of clarification and interpretation), as well as other techniques (e.g., the use of suggestion, reassurance, and advice giving). This form of therapy is now generally seen as existing on a continuum with psychoanalysis and is…
-
Psychoanalyst
A person, often a psychiatrist, who has had training in psychoanalysis and who uses the techniques of psychoanalytic theory in the treatment of patients. A person who is trained in psychoanalysis. A health professional who treats mental, emotional, and behavioral problems using a therapeutic technique based on Freudian theory or related approaches; a kind of…
-
Psychoanalysis
A theory of the psychology of human development and behavior, a method of research, and a system of psychotherapy, originally developed by sigmund freud (1856–1939). Through analysis of free associations and interpretation of dreams, emotions and behavior are traced to the influence of repressed instinctual drives and defenses against them in the unconscious. Psychoanalytic treatment…
-
Psychoactive substance
A chemical agent that alters mood or behavior. Includes prescribed medications and other substances with mood-, cognition-, or behavior-altering effects, as well as toxins, industrial solvents, and other agents to which one may be exposed unintentionally and whose effects on the nervous system may lead to behavioral or cognitive disturbances.
-
Psychic trauma
An intrapsychic event brought on by exposure to an unanticipated danger. The acute syndrome is characterized by psychological shock; helplessness; numbness of feelings; disturbances of speech, eating, and sleeping (nightmares); and social withdrawal. Persistence of the helpless state may result in death. The long-term effects are usually persistent preoccupation with the self; somatic concerns; depressive…
-
Psychiatrist
A licensed physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. Training encompasses a medical degree and 4 years or more of approved training after medical school. For those who wish to enter a subspecialty such as child psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, psychoanalysis, administration, or addiction psychiatry, additional training is required.…
-
Psychiatric social work
A specialty of social work that is concerned with the prevention of mental illness, the treatment and rehabilitation of mentally ill patients, and the prevention of relapse. Particular attention is given to familial, environmental, cultural, and other social factors that may be involved in the development, continuation, or recurrence of mental illness and in the…
-
Psychiatric nurse
Any nurse employed in a psychiatric hospital or other psychiatric setting who has special training and experience in the management of psychiatric patients. Sometimes the term is used to denote only those nurses who have a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing. A registered nurse (RN) who has specialized training in nursing services related to psychiatric…