Appendix B: Glossary

Aberrant Salience

A theory suggesting that psychosis arises when the brain assigns excessive or inappropriate importance (salience) to irrelevant stimuli—making everyday sights, sounds, or thoughts feel unusually significant, meaningful, or even threatening.

Acute

A term describing a condition or symptoms that are severe but short in duration.

Acute Psychosis

A sudden onset of psychotic symptoms—such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking—typically lasting less than one month.

Affect

The observable expression of emotion, including its intensity, range, and appropriateness.

Alogia

A negative symptom often associated with schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia, marked by a significant reduction in speech. This can present as poverty of speech (very limited verbal output) or poverty of content (speech that lacks meaningful information). Alogia is often the result of disrupted thought processes, cognitive slowing, or internal mental fatigue.

Anhedonia

The inability to experience pleasure from activities typically found enjoyable, such as hobbies, music, or social interactions.

Antidepressants

Medications that help treat depression by altering neurotransmitter levels in the brain to improve mood and emotional regulation.

Antipsychotics

Medications used to manage symptoms of psychosis, such as delusions and hallucinations; includes both first- and second-generation drugs.

Anxiety Disorders

A group of mental health conditions characterized by excessive fear, worry, or nervousness that interfere with daily functioning.

Apathy

A general lack of motivation, interest, or emotional engagement.

ARMS (At-Risk Mental State)

A preclinical condition indicating a heightened risk of developing psychosis or schizophrenia, without meeting full diagnostic criteria.

Avolition

A severe lack of motivation to initiate or sustain purposeful activities, often seen in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

Bipolar Disorder

A mood disorder involving alternating episodes of mania (elevated mood and energy) and depression (low mood and energy).

Brief Psychotic Disorder

A psychotic episode that lasts longer than 24 hours but less than one month.

Catatonia

A syndrome marked by abnormal motor activity, behaviors, and withdrawal; can include stupor, rigidity, or excessive movement.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

A form of psychotherapy focused on identifying and modifying unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors.

Cognitive Symptoms

Symptoms that impact memory, attention, and executive functioning; often seen in schizophrenia and related conditions.

Delusions

Strongly held false beliefs that persist despite evidence to the contrary; a core symptom of psychosis.

Depression

A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities.

DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness.

ED (Eating Disorder)

A range of mental health conditions characterized by disordered eating patterns and unhealthy relationships with food or body image.

EPS (Extrapyramidal Side Effects)

Movement disorders—such as tremors, rigidity, or restlessness—caused by dopamine-blocking antipsychotic medications.

FGA (First-Generation Antipsychotic)

Also called "typical antipsychotics," these are older medications that block dopamine receptors and often cause EPS.

Hallucinations

Sensory perceptions that feel real but are not; may be visual, auditory, tactile, or olfactory.

Hallucinosis

The presence of hallucinations in a person who is otherwise mentally oriented and not psychotic.

Late-Onset Psychosis

The first episode of psychosis occurring after age 40.

Mania

A state of elevated mood and energy that may include impulsivity, grandiosity, and decreased need for sleep.

Mood Stabilizers

Medications that help regulate mood swings, particularly in bipolar and schizoaffective disorders.

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

A U.S.-based organization offering education, advocacy, and support for individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Negative Symptoms

A reduction in normal emotional and behavioral functions, including apathy, social withdrawal, flat affect, anhedonia, and avolition.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A mental health condition involving intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) intended to reduce anxiety.

Paranoia

Persistent, irrational fears that others are trying to harm or deceive you.

Peer Support

Support given by individuals with lived experience of mental illness, offering practical and emotional guidance to others.

Positive Symptoms

Psychotic features that represent a distortion or excess of normal function, including hallucinations and delusions.

PRN Medication

Medication prescribed to be taken "as needed" (from Latin pro re nata).

Prodrome

The early warning phase of a psychotic disorder marked by subtle changes in behavior, mood, or cognition.

Psychosis

A mental state involving disconnection from reality, typically characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking.

Schizoaffective Disorder

A chronic mental illness that includes symptoms of schizophrenia (e.g., psychosis) alongside mood disorder symptoms (e.g., depression or mania).

Schizophrenia

A severe mental illness involving distorted thinking, perception, and emotional regulation, often with chronic functional impairment.

SGA (Second-Generation Antipsychotic)

Also called "atypical antipsychotics," these medications treat psychosis and mood symptoms with fewer motor side effects than FGAs.

SI (Suicidal Ideation)

Thoughts about, consideration of, or plans for suicide.

Social Anhedonia

A specific form of anhedonia that refers to reduced interest or pleasure in social interactions.

Substance-Induced Psychosis

Psychotic symptoms triggered by substance use or withdrawal.

TD (Tardive Dyskinesia)

A movement disorder caused by long-term use of dopamine-blocking medications, characterized by repetitive, involuntary body movements.

Therapy

Any structured form of psychological treatment, including individual, group, or family counseling.

Thought Broadcasting

The belief that your thoughts are being transmitted and can be heard by others.

Thought Insertion

The feeling that thoughts or ideas are being placed into your mind by an outside force.