Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
62 results found in mental health.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- A form of cognitive behavioral therapy that encourages acceptance of unwanted thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or suppressing them, combined with commitment to actions aligned with personal …
- Administrative Burden (Bureaucratic Burden, Process Burden)
- The cumulative effort, time, stress, and negative impacts that result from navigating administrative processes such as applying for benefits, gaining medical evidence, completing forms, and interactin…
- Affective Lability (Mood Lability, Emotional Lability)
- A pattern of rapid, unpredictable shifts in emotional state, often involving intense fluctuations between positive and negative moods with minimal external provocation. Affective lability is commonly …
- Anticipatory Grief (pre-death grief, anticipatory mourning)
- Grief experienced before an expected loss, particularly common among caregivers of individuals with progressive neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Anticipatory grief encompasses…
- Attention Restoration (Attention Restoration Theory, ART)
- A theoretical framework proposing that directed attention is a finite cognitive resource that becomes depleted through effortful focus and is restored through exposure to environments or activities th…
- Augmented Reality Intervention (AR Intervention, AR-Based Intervention)
- The use of augmented reality technology to deliver therapeutic or supportive interventions by overlaying digital content onto a person's real-world view. For OCD, proposed AR interventions include pla…
- Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)
- A sensory tingling experience, typically in the scalp and upper spine, triggered by specific audio–visual stimuli such as whispering, soft tapping, or gentle hand movements. ASMR is associated with re…
- Bipolar Disorder (BD, Manic-Depressive Illness)
- A group of brain disorders that cause extreme fluctuations in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Bipolar disorder involves episodes of mania (elevated mood, increased activity, reduced …
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- A mental health condition characterized by extreme fluctuations in mood, energy, and ability to function, along with patterns of unstable relationships, distorted self-image, and intense emotional res…
- Camouflaging (Masking, Social Camouflage, Autistic Masking)
- Camouflaging, also known as masking, is the conscious or unconscious suppression of autistic traits and adoption of neurotypical behaviors in order to fit into social situations. This can include forc…
- Caregiver Burnout (carer burnout, caregiver exhaustion)
- A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that occurs when a caregiver does not get the support or respite they need, often resulting from the sustained demands of caring for a person with…
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- A widely used, evidence-based form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and modifying dysfunctional thought patterns and behaviors. CBT is based on the premise that thoughts, feelings, and beh…
- Compassion Fatigue (secondary traumatic stress, empathy fatigue)
- A state of emotional and physical exhaustion that results from the prolonged exposure to others' suffering, particularly in caregiving contexts. Unlike burnout, which develops gradually from chronic w…
- Compulsion (Compulsive Behavior, Ritual)
- Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rigid rules, aimed at reducing anxiety or preventing a feared outcome. Compulsions…
- Contamination OCD (Contamination Obsessions)
- A subtype of OCD characterized by obsessive fears of contamination from dirt, germs, bodily fluids, chemicals, or other perceived pollutants, accompanied by compulsive behaviors like excessive hand wa…
- Depression (Major Depressive Disorder, Clinical Depression)
- A mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities. Depression can significantly impact cognitive function, including concentra…
- Diagnostic Overshadowing
- A clinical phenomenon in which the symptoms or behaviours of a person with a disability are incorrectly attributed to their existing disability rather than being recognised as signs of a separate cond…
- Digital mental health (E-mental health, Digital therapeutics)
- The use of digital technologies including AI chatbots, mood tracking apps, and online therapeutic platforms to support mental health assessment, monitoring, and intervention. Designing accessible and …
- Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA, Experience Sampling)
- A research and clinical method that involves repeatedly sampling people's behaviors, experiences, and physiological states in real time within their natural environments. EMA typically uses smartphone…
- Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
- The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a validated 10-item self-report screening questionnaire designed to identify symptoms of depression during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Ea…