Glossary
When it comes to supporting the mental wellbeing of your employees, education is key. At Wellbeing Lead Academy, we are committed to supplying you with the tools, skills and knowledge surrounding mental health to help you drive positive change. With this in mind, we have put together a comprehensive list of mental health terms and conditions that are important to know in the workplace.
Abuse – Abuse is a broad term, but in the workplace this can cover all forms of substance abuse, from drugs and alcohol, to chemical substance and psychoactive substance abuse.
Addiction – Addiction refers to the repeated use of substances or behaviours that has led to a person being unable to stop the substance or behaviour despite it having a negative impact on their health and lives.
Anorexia – Also known as anorexia nervosa, anorexia is an eating disorder. This disorder is characterised by deliberate weight loss induced and sustained by the person suffering. Symptoms include restricting food intake, an intense fear of weight gain and a warped perception of body weight and image.
Asperger’s Syndrome – Asperger’s, also known as AS, is a developmental disorder that falls under the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Symptoms will vary from person to person, but is generally characterised by repetitive behaviours, a narrow range of interests, rigid routines, missing social cues, problems with eye contact, facial expressions or body language. Social skills may be compromised as a result of this.
Autism – Also known as autism spectrum disorder, this refers to a neurological and developmental disorder that impacts how those who suffer behave, communicate, learn and interact with others. Main signs include getting anxious about social situations, taking things literally (i.e. “break a leg”), finding it hard to read people, sticking to rigid routines and becoming distressed if these routines are changed, avoiding eye contact and more.
ADHD – Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a developmental condition that affects a person’s behaviour. Main symptoms include difficulty staying focused (inattention), constantly moving (hyperactivity) and impulsivity.
Adjustment Disorder – This disorder is defined as a maladaptive response to a normal, psychosocial stressor that has occurred in the past three months.
Agoraphobia – This type of phobia is characterised by a debilitating fear of entering open or crowded spaces, leaving one’s own home or being in places from which escape is difficult.
Anxiety Disorder – Anxiety is a mental health condition where those who suffer struggle to control their excessive worry. Types of anxiety disorders include generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and phobias. Emotional symptoms include feelings of panic and dread, uncontrollable ‘racing’ thoughts that cause distress, difficulty concentrating, irritability and feeling on edge. Physical symptoms include heart palpitations, nausea, headaches, shortness of breath, dry mouth, inability to fall or stay asleep, muscle tension and more.
Antidepressants – Antidepressants refer to medication that helps to treat a variety of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, phobias and some eating disorders.
Antipsychotics – Medication that helps to treat mental health issues where psychosis is common. These conditions include some forms of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, severe depression, schizoaffective disorder and psychotic symptoms of a personality disorder.
Bereavement – This refers to the loss of a loved one. Due to the grief of losing someone, this can impact a person’s mental health greatly.
Bipolar Disorder – Bipolar is a mood disorder that is characterised by extreme changes in mood and energy. These mood changes consist of manic or hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes. Psychotic symptoms can occur during manic or depressive episodes.
Body Dysmorphia – Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition characterised by an unhealthy and excessive preoccupation with one’s physical appearance. Those who suffer will have distorted perception of their body image.
Borderline Personality Disorder – A mood disorder that impacts how a person interacts with others. Symptoms include emotional instability, disturbed thinking or perception, impulsive behaviour and an intense but unstable relationship with others.
Bulimia – Also known as bulimia nervosa, this form of eating disorder is marked by repeated cycles of overeating and excessive preoccupation with the control of body weight, leading to a pattern of self-induced bingeing and vomiting (or use of purgatives).
Burnout – Burnout is when an employee experiences feelings of exhaustion, negative thoughts and increased mental distance from their job as a result of workplace stress that has not been managed.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – Also known as CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is based on the idea that our feelings, thoughts and actions are all connected. This form of therapy is useful for treating depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and more.
Depression – Depression is a common mental health disorder characterised by feelings of sadness, guilt, worthlessness, emptiness, irritability, and in severe cases suicidal ideation. Physical symptoms include lack of energy, sleep problems, changes in weight and/or appetite and unexplained aches and pains.
Dementia – Dementia is a disease of the brain which impairs a person’s memory, thinking, orientation, judgement, language and learning capacity. This disease is usually of a chronic or progressive nature.
Dyslexia – Dyslexia is a learning disability that is characterised by significant challenges concerning reading, spelling and writing words.
Eating Disorder – An eating disorder is a mental health condition whereby the person suffering will experience significant disruptions in their eating behaviours, as well as their thoughts related to food. Bulimia and anorexia are the most common eating disorders.
Gender Dysphoria – Gender dysphoria refers to feelings of distress and discomfort that a person experiences when their assigned gender does not match with their gender identity.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Generalised anxiety disorder is a specific type of anxiety disorder where those affected will often have intrusive and excessive worry regarding all areas of their life such as money, health, family, job, family and more.
Insomnia – A sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Intellectual Disability – A reduced ability to understand new or complex information, apply new skills and cope independently.
Mental Disorders – Mental disorders comprise a wide range of problems and symptoms.
Mental Health – We all have mental health. This refers to a state of wellbeing in which a person can realise their potential, be productive and cope with the normal stresses of life, including within their place of work.
Mood Disorders – Disorders that affect a person’s emotional state. The most common mood disorders include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and more.
Neurological Disorders – These disorders impact your sleep, memory, ability to communicate and your overall functioning. Examples include autism, ADD, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease and more.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – Obsessive compulsive disorder is a mental health condition where a person has uncontrollable obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. There are many forms of OCD, but the key types focus on repetitive checking, contamination, symmetry and ordering, rumination/intrusive thoughts and hoarding.
Panic Disorder – A type of anxiety disorder characterised by intense, recurrent and unexpected panic attacks. Symptoms include feelings of terror, rapid breathing, chest pain and an accelerated heart rate. These attacks often occur repeatedly without clearly identifiable triggers.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)– PTSD is an anxiety disorder that is caused by an extremely stressful or terrifying event – either being a part of it or witnessing said event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts.
Postpartum Depression – A mental health condition that can affect women and men usually within a year of giving birth / the birth of their child. Symptoms can include low energy, anxiety, extreme sadness, social withdrawal and irritability.
Psychosis – Psychosis occurs when a person loses touch with reality as a result of collective symptoms. Their behaviour, thoughts and perceptions are compromised during psychosis, and they often experience hallucinations, delusions or excessive and unwarranted suspicions.
Schizoaffective Disorder – A chronic mental health condition that combines symptoms of psychosis (hallucinations and delusions), with symptoms of mood disorders (mania and/or depression).
Schizophrenia – A mental health condition characterised by disordered thoughts, hallucinations, delusions.
Self-harm – Self-harm is when an individual inflicts pain on themselves to cope with difficult feelings, painful memories or overwhelming situations and experiences.
Suicide – When a person ends their own life.
Suicidal Ideation – This refers to someone having thoughts of ending their life.
Tourette Syndrome – A neurological disorder involving repetitive movements or unwanted sounds (tics) that can’t be easily controlled.
Trauma – Emotional and psychological response to a distressing or disturbing event.
Wellbeing – The state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy, often used in discussions of mental health.
Withdrawal – Symptoms that occur after stopping or reducing intake of a substance that one is dependent on.
Zoning Out – A term used to describe a state of mental dissociation or detachment, often associated with stress or fatigue.
