Fourth Edition, September 2011

Distractibility 
The inability to maintain attention; that is, the shifting 
from one area or topic to another with minimal pro-
vocation, or attention being drawn too frequently to 
unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli.

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3 . 5
Glossary of terms and abbreviations
Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca
Drug Induced Psychosis
A mental illness involving distorted or imaginary sen-
sations caused by the one-off or repeated use of a 
drug (such as marijuana or amphetamines), or the use 
of a drug over a long period of time. The symptoms of 
a drug induced psychosis will usually appear quickly 
and can last for up to four weeks until the eff ects of the 
drug wear off .
Dysphoric mood
Dysphoria is an unpleasant or uncomfortable mood, 
such as sadness (depressed mood), anxiety, irritability, 
or restlessness. It is the opposite of euphoria.
Dysthymia
A mood disorder characterized by chronic mild 
depression.
Elevated mood 
An exaggerated feeling of well-being, or euphoria or 
elation. A person with elevated mood may describe 
feeling “high,” “ecstatic,” “on top of the world,” or “up in 
the clouds.”
Epilepsy 
A disorder of the brain characterised by periodic and 
temporary loss of consciousness with or without in-
voluntary muscle movements (seizures). Epilepsy is 
not a mental illness, and requires very diff erent special-
ist skills from those off ered by mental health services. 
However, people with epilepsy can also suff er from a 
mental illness.
Euthymic 
Mood in the “normal” range, which implies the absence 
of depressed or elevated mood.
Exceptional student
The Ontario Education Act defi nes an exceptional stu-
dent as “a pupil whose behavioural, communicational, 
intellectual, physical or multiple exceptionalities are 
such that he or she is considered to need placement 
in a special education program…”. Students are iden-
tifi ed according to the categories and defi nitions of 
exceptionalities provided by the Ministry of Education.
Expansive mood
Lack of restraint in expressing one’s feelings, frequently 
with an overvaluation of one’s signifi cance or import-
ance. Those aff ected may be irritable and easily an-
noyed or angered.
Extraversion 
A state in which attention and energies are largely 
directed outward from the self as opposed to inward 
toward the self, as in introversion.
Fantasy 
An imagined sequence of events or mental images 
(e.g. daydreams) that serves to express unconscious 
confl icts, to gratify unconscious wishes, or to prepare 
for anticipated future events.