Psychiatry Dictionary
Some concepts used in psychiatry and psychotherapy are also frequently encountered in everyday language. However, the same word can have different meanings in everyday language and in clinical usage. For this reason, I have compiled this glossary with the aim of explaining concepts frequently used in the fields of psychiatry and psychotherapy in clear and scientific language.
Understanding a concept does not mean that a person is diagnosing themselves or someone else. Psychiatric symptoms are assessed in conjunction with the person’s history, the difficulties they are experiencing, the duration, severity and impact on daily life.
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Burnout
A work-related phenomenon associated with chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, defined by energy depletion, mental distance from or negativity toward work, and reduced professional efficacy. In ICD-11 it is not classified as a disease or psychiatric disorder and is not used to describe exhaustion in other life domains.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A psychiatric disorder that may develop after exposure to a qualifying traumatic event, characterized by involuntary re-experiencing symptoms related to the event, avoidance, changes in thoughts and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity.
Trauma
The word trauma can be used broadly in clinical and everyday language. In DSM-5-TR terms, exposure to a traumatic event relevant to PTSD is defined more specifically, involving particular forms of exposure related to death, threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Therefore, not every highly stressful life event qualifies as a traumatic event for PTSD criteria.
Trigger
A term used to describe an internal or external stimulus that facilitates the emergence or intensification of an emotion, thought, memory, or bodily response.