Mental Health Jargon: A Glossary
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Mental Health Jargon: A Glossary

Introduction

Mental health jargon and Medical Jargon can be difficult to understand. We understand that without proper information, you cannot fully understand what is going on.

Below is a list of Abbreviations, and then a Glossary of terms, to help explain some of the jargon in a way that is not so jargony.

 

 

Abbreviations Explained

Below is a list of common terms in the medical field. Some of these may be used in a Mental Health case as well. Good luck, as this is a long list.

A&E – Accident and Emergency
ACF – Acute Care Forum
AHP – Allied Healthcare Professional
AMHP – Approved Mental Health Practitioner
AOA – Adult and Older Adult (Services)
AoG – Assembly of Governors
AOT – Assertive Outreach Team
ASD – Autistic Spectrum Disorder
ASW – Approved Social Worker
BoD – Board of Directors
CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
CAT – Change Agent Team
CBT – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CDW – Community Development Worker
CEO – Chief Executive Officer
CHAI – Commission for Healthcare Audit Inspection
CMHT – Community Mental Health Team
CNST – Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trust
CPA – Care Programme Approach
CPN – Community Psychiatric Nurse
CRHT – Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment
CSCI – Commission for Social Care Inspection
CQC – Care Quality Commission
CQUIN – Commissioning for Quality and Innovation
DAAT – Drug and Alcohol Action Team
DDA – Disability Discrimination Act
DNA – Did Not Attend
DoH – Department of Health
DSPD – Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder
DTC – Day Treatment Centre
ECT – Electro Convulsive Therapy
ED – Executive Directors
EDS – Eating Disorder Service
EIS – Early Intervention Service
FT – Foundation Trust
FTN – Foundation Trust Network
GP – General Practitioner
HAZ – Health Action Zone
HCJ – Health and Criminal Justice
HDRU – High Dependency Rehabilitation Unit
HNA – Health Needs Assessment
HR – Human Resources
IAPT – Improving Access to Psychological Therapies
IC – Infection Control
ICN – Integrated Care Network
ICP – Integrated Care Pathway
IOP- Intensive Outpatient
IP – In-patient
LA – Local Authority
LD – Learning Disabilities
LINks – Local Involvement Networks
MCA – Mental Capacity Act
MDT – Multi-Disciplinary Team
MHA – Mental Health Act
NED – Non-Executive Director
OBD – Occupied Bed Days
OP – Out-patient
OT – Occupational Therapist/Therapy
PALS – Patient Advice and Liaison Service
PCT – Primary Care Trust
PCLT – Primary Care Liaison Team
PCS – Professional Clinical Services
PICU – Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit
PPI – Patient and Public Involvement
PSW – Professional Social Worker
RMN – Registered Mental Nurse
RN – Registered Nurse
SaLT – Speech and Language Therapy
SAP – Single Assessment Process
SHA – Strategic Health Authority

Mental Health Jargon Explained

 

Some of the language used in mental health can be confusing to anyone who isn’t a trained mental health professional. In the glossary below you can find explanations of various terms used in mental health. Below the glossary is an ‘Abbreviations Explained’ section where you can find explanations of some of the abbreviations mental health professionals use.

 

 

Glossary

Accident and Emergency (A&E)
A walk-in center at hospitals for when urgent or immediate treatment is necessary.

Acute
An acute illness is one that develops suddenly. Acute conditions may or may not be severe and they usually last for a short amount of time.

Admission beds
Hospital beds that are available for people in a crisis, when care cannot be provided in their own home.

Advocate
An advocate is someone who helps to support a service user or carer through their contact with health services.

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs)
A range of health professionals that includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, art therapists, and speech and language therapists.

Anti-psychotic medication
Medication used to treat psychosis. There are several different types of anti-psychotic medication.

Assertive outreach
Assertive outreach refers to a way of delivering treatment. An Assertive Outreach Team actively take their service to people instead of people coming to the team. Care and support may be offered in the service user’s home or in some other community setting. Care and support is offered at times suited to the service user rather than times suited to the team’s convenience.

Assessment 
When someone is unwell, health care professionals meet with the person to talk to them and find out more about their symptoms so they can make a diagnosis and plan treatments. This is called an assessment. Family members should be involved in assessments, unless the person who is unwell says he or she does not want that.

Caldicott guardian
The person within a Trust who has responsibility for policies on safeguarding the confidentiality of patient information.

Care pathways
This is the route someone who is unwell follows through health services. The path starts when someone first contacts health services – through their GP or an accident and emergency department, for example. The path continues through diagnosis, treatment, and care.

Care plan
Mental health professionals draw up a care plan with someone when they first start offering them support, after they have assessed what someone’s needs are and what is the best package of help they can offer. People should be given a copy of their care plan and it should be reviewed regularly. Service users, and their families and carers, can be involved in the discussion of what the right care plan is.

Care Program Approach (CPA)
A way of assessing the health and social care needs of people with mental health problems, and coming up with a care plan that ensures people get the full help and support they need.

Carer