MENTAL DISORDER

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does mental disorder mean? 

• MENTAL DISORDER (noun)
  The noun MENTAL DISORDER has 1 sense:

1. (psychiatry) a psychological disorder of thought or emotion; a more neutral term than mental illness

  Familiarity information: MENTAL DISORDER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MENTAL DISORDER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(psychiatry) a psychological disorder of thought or emotion; a more neutral term than mental illness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

disturbance; folie; mental disorder; mental disturbance; psychological disorder

Hypernyms ("mental disorder" is a kind of...):

disorder; upset (a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning)

Domain category:

psychiatry; psychological medicine; psychopathology (the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mental disorder"):

Asperger's syndrome (a psychiatric disorder usually noted during early school years; characterized by impaired social relations and by repetitive patterns of behavior)

anxiety disorder (a cover term for a variety of mental disorders in which severe anxiety is a salient symptom)

psychosomatic disorder (a mental disorder that causes somatic symptoms)

aberration (a disorder in one's mental state)

conversion disorder; conversion hysteria; conversion reaction (a mental disorder characterized by the conversion of mental conflict into somatic forms (into paralysis or anesthesia having no apparent cause))

delirium (a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion often accompanied by hallucinations)

delusional disorder (any mental disorder in which delusions play a significant role)

encopresis (involuntary defecation not attributable to physical defects or illness)

folie a deux (the simultaneous occurrence of symptoms of a mental disorder (as delusions) in two persons who are closely related (as siblings or man and wife))

personality disorder (inflexible and maladaptive patterns of behavior)

affective disorder; emotional disorder; emotional disturbance; major affective disorder (any mental disorder not caused by detectable organic abnormalities of the brain and in which a major disturbance of emotions is predominant)

schizothymia (resembling schizophrenia but remaining within the bounds of normality)

neurosis; neuroticism; psychoneurosis (a mental or personality disturbance not attributable to any known neurological or organic dysfunction)

dissociative disorder (dissociation so severe that the usually integrated functions of consciousness and perception of self break down)

 Context examples 

A mental disorder caused by intrinsic disease which is characterized by acute or chronic impairment of intellectual functioning, behavior, mood or judgment.

(Organic Brain Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

The aggressive episodes are not etiologically linked to another mental disorder, a general medical condition, or substance use.

(Intermittent Explosive Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

There are many causes of mental disorders.

(Mental Disorders, NIH)

A mental disorder characterized by chronic fatigue and concomitant physiologic symptoms.

(Nervous Debility, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Mental disorders are common, but treatments are available.

(Mental Health, NIH)

A drug used to treat certain mental disorders.

(Olanzapine, NCI Dictionary)

A treatment for severe depression and certain mental disorders.

(ECT, NCI Dictionary)

Recent research also suggests that mental disorders could be treated by regulating the intestinal microbiota, but there is no specific evidence to support this.

(Anxiety May Be Alleviated by Changing Gut Bacteria, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A mental disorder in which a person has an extreme fear and distrust of others.

(Paranoia, NCI Dictionary)

A mental disorder caused by intrinsic disease which is characterized by persistent alteration of a known behavioral pattern.

(Organic Personality Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)