refers to the ability to recognize

the nature of one's own attitude, emotions, and behavior.

refers to a remission of symptoms

in mental illness when the patient’s reasoning and judgment appear to be normal to brief period.

are sensory perceptions that

occur in the absence of an actual external stimulus. They may be auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, or tactile in nature. Hallucinations occur in clients with substance-related disorders, schizophrenia, and manic disorders.

Misperception of actual environmental

stimuli.

overall

movements

slowed

maintenance					of	posture	or
position	over	time even	when	it	is	awkward	or

uncomfortable

refers to the client’s pervasive and enduring

emotional state.

is the outward expression of the client’s

emotional state.

showing little or a slow-to-

respond facial expression

displaying a full range of emotional

expressions

showing no facial expression

displaying a facial

expression that is incongruent with mood or situation; often silly or giddy regardless of circumstance

When the client exhibits

unpredictable and rapid mood swings from depressed and crying to euphoria with no apparent stimuli

Contradictory or opposing emotions,

attitudes, ideas, or desires for the same person, thing, or situation

: term used when a

client eventually answers a question but only after giving excessive unnecessary detail

a fixed, false belief not based in reality

excessive amount and rate of

speech composed of fragmented or unrelated ideas Ideas of reference: client’s inaccurate interpretation that general events are personally directed to him or her such as hearing a speech on the news and believing the message had personal meaning

disorganized thinking that

jumps from one idea to another with little or no evident relation between the thoughts

wandering off the topic

and never providing the information requested

flow of unconnected words that

convey no meaning to the listener

refers to the client’s recognition of

person, place, and time; that is, knowing who and where he or she is and the correct day, date, and year.

are ideas that are related

to one another based on sound or rhyming rather than meaning. Example: “I will take a pill if I go up the hill but not if my name is Jill, I don’t want to kill.”

are words invented by the client.

Example: “I’m afraid of grittiz. If there are any grittiz here, I will have to leave. Are you a grittiz?”

is the stereotyped repetition of

words or phrases that may or may not have meaning to the listener. Example: “I want to go home, go home, go home, go home.”

is the client’s imitation or repetition of

what the nurse says. Example: Nurse: “Can you tell me how you’re feeling?” Client: “Can you tell me how you’re feeling, how you’re feeling?”

is use of words or phrases

that are flowery, excessive, and pompous. Example: “Would you be so kind, as a representative of Florence Nightingale, as to do me the honor of providing just a wee bit of refreshment, perhaps in the form of some clear spring water?”

is the persistent adherence to a

single idea or topic and verbal repetition of a sentence, phrase, or word, even when another person attempts to change the topic.

Example: Nurse: “How have you been sleeping lately?” Client: “I think people have been following me.” Nurse: “Where do you live?” Client: “At my place people have been following me.” Nurse: “What do you like to do in you free time?” Client: “Nothing because people are following me.”

is a combination of jumbled words

and phrases that are disconnected or incoherent and make no sense to the listener. Example: “Corn, potatoes, jump up, play games, grass, cupboard.”

exaggerated or

unrealistic sense of importance, power, or identity

Belief that others

are out to cause harm or to persecute or antagonize

Belief that everything

in the environment is somehow related to oneself

An

unrealistic belief that about the body

Belief that someone or

something is controlling oneself

Belief that

someone is putting ideas or thoughts into one’s mind

Belief that one has a

special status with God

Belief that someone famous is in love

with him

Reference: Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing by Sheila Videbeck