Category: E

Disturbances of the function of the ductless glands, which may be metabolic in origin and may be associated with, or aggravated by, emotional factors, producing mental and behavioral disturbances in addition to physical signs. Of particular significance in psychiatry is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), consisting of a self-regulating cycle of neurohormones released from the…

Brand name (now discontinued) for the tricyclic antidepressant drug amitriptyline.  

Confidential help provided by companies and other employers to their employees for personal problems that might influence their ability to work effectively. These programs were started in the early 1900s as employee counseling, became focused in the 1960s on helping employees who were having problems with alcohol, and expanded subsequently to include other personal problems.…

Insightful awareness of the meaning and significance of the feelings, emotions, and behavior of another person. Contrast with sympathy. The capacity to imagine oneself in the place of another person. The ability to understand the problems and feelings of another person. Ability to recognize and relate to, and to some extent share in, the emotions…

As conceptualized by Heinz Kohut (1913–1981), lack of responsivity to a child’s phase-appropriate needs. In a treatment setting, the term refers to a therapist’s lack of responsivity to the patient.  

A condition characterized by excessive emotional reactions and frequent mood changes. It is often seen in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, brain injury, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or borderline personality disorder. Emotional lability refers to a pattern of emotional changes from normal mood to states characterized by irritability, depression, anxiety, or aggression (also referred to in…

Lack of adequate and appropriate interpersonal and/or environmental experience, usually in the early developmental years. Isolation of an individual, especially an infant, from normal emotional stimuli. In infants this impairs mental and physical development. Emotional deprivation refers to the insufficiency of affectionate care and nurturing relationships during early childhood, leading to an inhibition of normal…

A state of arousal determined by a set of subjective feelings, often accompanied by physiological changes, that impels one toward action. Examples are fear, anger, love, and hate. An intense feeling that results in characteristic changes and the psychological need to act. Examples are love, hate, fear, anger, jealousy, guilt, envy, and others. There are…

A patient’s unauthorized departure from a psychiatric facility.