The Encyclopedia of Mental Health (Facts on File Library of Health and Living)

529 Pages·2007·4.03 MB·English

by  Ada P. Kahn, Jan Fawcett

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
MENTAL HEALTH
THIRD EDITION
Ada P. Kahn, Ph.D.
Jan Fawcett, M.D.
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The Encyclopedia of Mental Health, Third Edition
Copyright © 2008, 2001, 1993 by Ada P. Kahn, Ph.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact:
Facts On File, Inc.
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New York NY 10001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kahn, Ada P.
The encyclopedia of mental health / Ada P. Kahn, Jan Fawcett.—3rd ed.
p.; cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-6454-0 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8160-6454-7 (alk. paper)
1. Psychiatry—Encyclopedias. 2. Mental health—Encyclopedias. I. Fawcett, Jan, 1934– II. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Psychiatry—Encyclopedias—English. 2. Mental Disorders—Encyclopedias—English.
3. Mental Health—Encyclopedias—English. WM 13 K12e 2007]
RC437.K34 2007
616.89'003—dc22 2006102540
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Text and cover design by Cathy Rincon
Illustrations by Patricia Meschino
Printed in the United States of America
VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
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CONTENTS
Introduction iv
Entries A to Z 1
Bibliography 477
Resources 487
Index 505
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INTRODUCTION
ental health is a continuum, ranging from of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Research is
Mthe annoyances of stressful random nui- essential: In 1900 there were 120,000 Americans
sances to serious mental disorders. We hope that over age 85. Now there are more than 4 million,
readers will find this third edition of The Encyclo- and this is the fastest growing age group in the
pedia of Mental Health helpful while coping with United States. Federal officials estimate that by the
everyday challenges in healthy ways. year 2030 there will be 72 million, meaning that
According to Healthy People 2010, published by 20 percent of the American population will be over
the U.S. government, mental health is a state of age 65.
successful mental functioning, resulting in pro- Baby boomers are beginning to turn 65. Now
ductive activities, fulfilling relationships, and the those born between 1946 and 1960 account for 42
ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity. percent of U.S. households. These individuals have
This blueprint for good health indicates that men- come though periods of very rapid social change,
tal health is indispensable to well-being, family particularly in the last decade. Change, by itself,
and interpersonal relationships, and one’s contri- whether for good or not, can be a source of stress
bution to society. and can influence mental health. Technological
Much has changed in the world since the sec- changes, for example, continue at an accelerat-
ond edition of The Encyclopedia of Mental Health ing pace. Instantaneous communication by cell
appeared in 2001. Many entries in this third edi- phones, including those that transmit pictures, and
tion reflect the current state of our global soci- Internet access are helpful on a daily basis to many
ety. Our goal while compiling this edition was to people but a stressful challenge to some others.
cover many contemporary and disparate concepts, As people age, the job market changes. Some
including those of aging, technological advance- people are forced into earlier retirement than they
ments, employment, the economy, war, terrorism, had planned. Jobs are no longer for life. Mergers and
personal security and acts of nature such as hurri- layoffs have caused job insecurity across the board,
canes and tsunamis that have profound effects on and in many cases older workers are the first to go
mental health as well as some new therapies. and face an insecure future. Working people also
Older people today have increased health face increasing threats to good mental health due
expectancies, compared with Americans even to fast-moving worldwide advancements in com-
10 years ago, according to the National Institute munications and technology. Effective adjustment
on Aging. That means that people over the age of strategies are necessary. Recognition of the impact
65 have fewer physical, and, with good luck, also of mental health on the economy is essential.
fewer mental health concerns. A major issue for The shifting global economy causes psychologi-
the aging population is the decline in mental fac- cal uncertainties for many. Many workers are laid
ulties; promising research is ongoing in the areas off from jobs they have held for many years. Some
iv
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Introduction v
find that those jobs no longer exist. New positions also threaten good mental health for workers fac-
may not be available in their fields and may require ing mega-mergers, downsizings, job transfers and
relocation and difficult retraining. Whereas older demands for more work from fewer workers. Mas-
generations in factories and office buildings were tering and updating skills and adoption of more
culturally homogenous, today’s global economy globally applicable health and safety standards
has produced a rich diversity of workers with may help prevent some predictable effects on men-
pronounced ethnic and cultural differences. The tal health.
stresses that arise from this diversity create unique It is in the economic interest of employers and
challenges for employers, communities and men- their communities to acknowledge the relationship
tal health professionals. among workers’ mental health, quality control,
Mental health issues vary among individuals, productivity, profits and safety, on and off the job.
cultures and types of communities. Many people Government, labor and industry can work
experience culture shock when they are caught together to encourage communities to focus on
between two worlds, particularly those who tran- environmental factors, including commuting time,
sition from agrarian to urbanized settings. When personal space, air and noise pollution and reduc-
workers from disparate backgrounds are placed tion of cigarette smoking, to reduce the unhealthy
in new environments, mental and physical symp- effects from these sources. Health promotion
toms may include anxiety and frustration, fatigue, through employee and community wellness pro-
headaches and stomach pains. Culture shock is a grams with concern for ergonomics and human
common experience; individuals and their fami- factors can promote better mental health.
lies in a new environment may face demands and Outside the workplace, many other factors can
pressures without the necessary coping skills. affect people’s mental health. Threats of terror-
Expectation may exceed reality. Practical accul- ism continue to cause anxieties. While necessary
turation strategies can help minimize these effects. and costly for communities and workplaces, visibly
Learning the language, adjusting to the norms and enhanced security measures and programs can help
values of the new society and culture, building a reduce fears, although they may also increase fears.
social support system and promoting diversity by Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now a term
understanding new neighbors’ cultural and reli- in our vocabulary because of terrorism and war.
gious habits can reduce feelings of alienation and Since September 11, 2001, when terrorist attacks
improve self-confidence. resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 people in
Outsourcing labor to reduce costs may result in New York City, Washington. D.C., and Pennsylvania,
workers abroad experiencing effects of isolation, millions of Americans have experienced depression,
lack of social support, overwork and diminished anxiety and PTSD. Many rescue workers also expe-
concerns for industrial hygiene. In many places, rienced these symptoms. An increasing number of
immigrant and migrant workers face not only the Iraq war veterans have symptoms of PTSD.
social stresses of being different but also a lack of Concerns about worldwide terrorism continue
benefits, particularly health benefits, and a differ- to make many people fearful and apprehensive
ential in paid vacation time. Ideally, more univer- when traveling or in crowds. Worldwide, in the
sal worker benefits would prevail. mid-2000s terrorism attacks continued in vari-
Gender and age differentials vary among cul- ous ways in many places. Suicide bombers have
tures, and gender gaps in income and promotions become more common and increasingly difficult
exist within our own society. Retirement in some to detect and deter.
cultures is encouraged while in other cultures Acts of nature continue to cause devastating
expertise of elders is valued. effects on mental health. For example, in late 2005
Change is a constant influence on mental Hurricane Katrina, the costliest hurricane in U.S.
health. Effects of change are a major source of history, destroyed much of New Orleans and many
anxiety. Loss of control as well as fears of miscom- towns in Mississippi, killing more than 1,400 peo-
munication and inadequate job performance may ple and leaving thousands homeless and dispersed
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vi The Encyclopedia of Mental Health
to various places throughout the United States. In Another area of ongoing research involves
2004 a massive tsunami hit the coasts of 23 coun- determining a definition of happiness and how
tries in south Asia, killing as many as 280,000 various people interpret happiness. Happiness
people, displacing more than 1 million people, can be defined as a lasting state of mind charac-
and resulting in more than 14,000 people miss- terized by contentment and acceptance as well
ing. In these situations, as well as in less dramatic as engagement in life’s experiences with peri-
occurrences, mental health workers help survivors ods of joyfulness and appreciation as opposed to
cope with loss, grief and relocation. Post traumatic immediate pleasures. Happiness is very difficult
stress disorder (PTSD) is a common occurrence to attain without good mental health and matu-
in those who witnessed or survived these trau- rity, but even then it requires conscious attention.
matic situations. Many veterans of the war in Iraq, It is attainable through developing the capacity to
which began in 2003, suffer from PTSD and are see beyond moments of disappointment and hurt,
receiving treatment to overcome their flashbacks, beyond the mundane experience of living, and
depression, nightmares, and feelings of constant to appreciate life’s beauty, the miracle of human
vigilance. consciousness and life itself. Depression, anxieties,
Along with shared anxieties, many people addictive behaviors and severe physical pain make
have their own private mental health concerns. it difficult to attain happiness by interfering with
Depression hits more than 19 million U.S. adults the ability to see beyond one’s immediate negative
each year. Of those, 12 million are women. About experience.
one in eight U.S. women will be diagnosed with This book gives an overview of mental health
depression during her lifetime. Depression is a topics and is not intended to provide complete
leading cause of drug and alcohol use. Drug and information on any one topic. The resource sec-
alcohol addictions continue to incur huge costs for tion at the end of the book will help readers desir-
society, such as emergency medical care crime, ing more information explore selected topics more
corrections, law enforcement, lost productivity, fully. Also, the material in this book is not intended
education, treatment and prevention. Sleep diffi- to be used for diagnostic purposes or for medical
culties resulted in 45 million prescriptions being treatment. While self-knowledge can be very help-
written for sleep medications in 2005. Many peo- ful, in many cases self-help without professional
ple manage their anxieties by overeating or smok- supervision is not advised. Indications for thera-
ing. In the long run, unhealthy ways of coping take pies change constantly; readers are advised to seek
their toll on physical as well as mental health. updates from health professionals, professional lit-
Research in the area of therapies for many var- erature or reliable Web sites.
ied mental health issues is ongoing. In the last few
years, the professional community has given much — Ada P. Kahn, Ph.D., Evanston, Illinois
attention to the use of medications known as atyp- —Jan Fawcett, M.D., Santa Fe, New Mexico
ical antidepressants. Many of these new pharma-
ceutical tools have been approved and have been
useful for some people.
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ENTRIES A to Z
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A
aberration Any behavior considered a deviation states had laws forbidding induced abortions. The
from the normal or typical in a particular culture. annual number of abortions peaked in 1990, but
Aberrations are defined differently in different cul- since then the general trend has been gradually
tures. In some societies, for example, any sexual downward.
practice that is not related to reproduction (includ- In 2001 a total of 853,485 legal induced abor-
ing any act from autoeroticism to voyeurism) is tions were reported, representing a 0.5 percent
considered an aberration. In a sexually restricted decrease in the number reported for the previous
culture, the strict “nonreproductive behavior” norm year. The highest percentages of reported abortions
could apply. In a more liberal, sexually free culture, were for unmarried women (82 percent), white
any type of sexual behavior occurring between or women (55 percent) and women under 25 years
among consenting adults might be considered quite of age (52 percent). In 2000 as in previous years,
acceptable; in such a culture, the term “aberrant” deaths related to legal induced abortions occurred
might apply only to behavior in which there is vic- rarely (less than one death per 100,000 abortions).
timization (for example, child abuse or the threat of Findings from ongoing national monitoring of
violence) or adverse social consequences. abortions by public health agencies are used to
identify characteristics of women who are at high
risk for unintended pregnancy. Ongoing annual
abnormal Applied to behavior, the term relates surveillance watches trends in the number, ratio
to any deviation from what is considered nor- and rate of abortions in the United States. Abortion
mal in the culture. Abnormal behavior is usually and pregnancy rates can be used to evaluate the
considered evidence of a mental disturbance that effectiveness of family planning programs and pro-
could range from a minor adjustment problem to grams for preventing unintended pregnancies.
a severe mental disorder. Abnormal psychology is According to the Centers for Disease Control
the branch of psychology that studies mental and (CDC), abortions usually result from unintended
emotional disorders. Applied to statistics, the term pregnancies, which often occur despite use of
indicates scores that are outside the expected range contraception. Approximately 49 percent of all
or normal range. pregnancies in 1994 were unintended at concep-
tion. In 1995 31 percent of births were reported as
unintended at conception, 21 percent were con-
abortion Interruption or loss of any pregnancy sidered mistimed, and 10 percent were consid-
before the fetus is capable of living. The term abor- ered unwanted. Unintended pregnancy is a public
tion usually refers to induced or intentional termi- health problem for all women of reproductive age
nation of a pregnancy, while spontaneous abortion, and a particular concern for adolescents, unmarried
the natural loss of a pregnancy, is usually referred women and women of low socioeconomic status.
to as a miscarriage. Considering and undergoing an abortion causes
Abortion was legalized throughout the United anxiety for many women. For example, some mourn
States by the Supreme Court decision in the 1972 the loss of their fetus, while others, years later, fan-
Roe v. Wade case. Before that 7-2 decision, most tasize about how old the child would have been.
1
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