Medical psychology

Encyclopedia articles

  • Psychological Trauma — A psychological response to an event or series of events that overwhelm an individual's capacity to cope.
  • Depression — A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and cognitive, emotional, and physiological changes that significantly affect daily functioning.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — A mental disorder that develops following exposure to a traumatic event, characterized by intrusive memories, avoidance, cognitive alterations, and hyperarousal.
  • Dissociation — A disruption in the normal integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, and perception of the environment, ranging from everyday experiences to severe clinical disorders.
  • Psychosomatics — The field of study examining the interaction between psychological processes and bodily symptoms or diseases, recognizing the functional unity of mind and body.
  • Grief — A natural emotional, cognitive, and behavioural response to significant loss, especially the death of a loved one.
  • Placebo Effect — A therapeutic improvement produced by an inert treatment, attributable to patient expectations, the care context, and endogenous neurobiological mechanisms.
  • Stress — Psychophysiological response of the organism to demands that exceed its adaptive resources. Can be acute or chronic, with profound effects on physical and mental health.

Tests

  • PHQ-9 — Patient Health Questionnaire (9 items)
  • GAD-7 — Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (7 items)
  • PCL-5 — PTSD Checklist (20 items)
  • ISI — Insomnia Severity Index (7 items)
  • AUDIT — Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (10 items)
  • EPDS — Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (10 items)
  • WHOQOL-BREF — WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire (Brief) (26 items)