Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

APPENDIX
II
Glossary of Terms
Commonly Used in
Geriatric Mental
Health and Disaster
Preparedness
Those items marked with an asterisk are from Tener Goodwin Veenema
(Ed.), Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness . Copyright © 2007
Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Reproduced with the permission
of Springer Publishing Company, LLC, New York, NY 10036.
Acute Stress Disorder. Acute stress disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized
by symptoms of motor tension, hypervigilance, and autonomic
hyperarousal. Acute stress disorder is symptomatically similar
to PTSD but is distinguished by a duration of a minimum of 2 days
to a maximum of 4 weeks with the onset of symptoms within 4 weeks
of the traumatic stimulus event.
Anxiety Disorders. Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive,
uncontrollable worries with accompanying symptoms of motor tension,
hypervigilance, and autonomic hyperarousal such as palpitations,
dry mouth, dizziness, hot fl ashes, and gastrointestinal distress.
Anxiety disorders include phobic disorder, panic disorder, generalized
anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Self-maintenance skills such as dressing,
bathing, toileting, grooming, eating, and ambulating.
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