Glossary

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Medical Gaslighting

The dismissal, minimization, or invalidation of a patient’s reported symptoms or experiences by healthcare providers, often leading patients to doubt their own perceptions. The phenomenon disproportionately affects women, people of colour, disabled people, and neurodivergent…

Mental Health(also: Mental Well-Being, Psychological Health)

A state of well-being encompassing emotional, psychological, and social functioning, in which an individual can cope with normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to their community. Mental health conditions — including anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar…

Mental Health Self-Management(also: Self-Management, Mental Health Self-Care)

The practices and strategies that individuals use to manage their mental health symptoms independently in daily life, outside of formal therapy sessions. For OCD, self-management includes applying therapeutic techniques (exposure exercises, thought diffusion), tracking symptoms,…

Mental Health Stigma(also: Psychiatric Stigma, Mental Illness Stigma)

Negative attitudes, beliefs, and discrimination directed toward people with mental health conditions, leading to social exclusion, reduced help-seeking, and diminished self-esteem. For people with OCD, stigma manifests as public misunderstanding of the condition (trivializing…

Mindfulness(also: Mindfulness Meditation, Mindfulness-Based Practice)

The practice of directing non-judgmental attention to present-moment experience — bodily sensations, breath, thoughts, and emotions — typically cultivated through structured meditation, body-scan exercises, or informal awareness in daily activity. Rooted in Buddhist…

Music Psychotherapy

A form of music therapy that uses musical activities — songwriting, improvisation, lyric analysis, receptive listening — to address emotional, psychological, and relational concerns rather than sensory or rehabilitative goals. Practitioners are typically licensed music…

Negativity bias in online communities(also: Online negativity bias)

The tendency for negative experiences and opinions to be disproportionately represented in online discussion forums and social media communities compared to the broader population's experiences. In disability-related online spaces, negativity bias can result from several…

Non-visible disability(also: Hidden disability, Non-apparent disability)

A disability that is not immediately apparent to others through visual observation. Non-visible disabilities include neurodivergent conditions (autism, ADHD, dyslexia), mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, PTSD), chronic pain, chronic fatigue, diabetes, epilepsy, and…

OCD Accommodation(also: Family Accommodation)

A behavior — typically by family, friends, or clinicians — that participates in or enables a person with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) to complete a compulsion, for example by providing reassurance, hearing a confession, or making a decision on their behalf. Although…

OCD Cycle

A four-step clinical model describing how Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is maintained: an obsession (intrusive thought, urge, or image) triggers a feeling of distress, which the person attempts to relieve through a compulsion (a behavior or mental act), producing temporary…

Obsession(also: Obsessive Thought, Intrusive Thought)

Recurrent, persistent, unwanted thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause significant anxiety or distress. In OCD, obsessions are experienced as intrusive and involuntary, and the person recognizes them as products of their own mind rather than external influences. Common…

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(also: OCD)

A mental health condition affecting approximately 2% of the world population, characterized by recurrent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that cause significant anxiety, and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to relieve that anxiety. OCD…

PTSD(also: Post-traumatic stress disorder, Post-traumatic stress)

A psychiatric condition that can develop after exposure to traumatic events, characterized by intrusive memories, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, negative changes in mood and cognition, and heightened arousal responses including hypervigilance and exaggerated startle. In…

Passive Sensing(also: Passive Monitoring, Ambient Sensing)

The collection of behavioral and physiological data through sensors without requiring active user input. In mental health contexts, passive sensing uses smartphone sensors (GPS, accelerometer, microphone), wearable devices (heart rate monitors, electrodermal activity sensors),…

Perinatal depression(also: PND, Perinatal mood disorder)

Perinatal depression (PND) refers to major depressive episodes that occur during pregnancy (antenatal depression) or in the weeks following childbirth (postpartum depression). It affects up to 10% of individuals during the perinatal period and carries significant societal costs,…

Personality Test(also: Personality Inventory, Personality Assessment)

A psychometric instrument that attempts to quantify traits such as conscientiousness, extraversion, emotional stability, or risk tolerance. Personality tests were introduced in industry during and after World War I to screen for "maladjusted" workers, and are now the most…

Positive Computing(also: Positive Technology)

A design approach articulated by Rafael Calvo and Dorian Peters (2014) and extended by Riva, Gaggioli and colleagues that intentionally orients information and communication technology toward supporting psychological wellbeing, human flourishing, and positive emotion — rather…

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(also: PTSD)

A mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event such as violence, natural disaster, serious accident, or combat. Symptoms include intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, negative changes in thinking and…

Postpartum depression(also: Postnatal depression, PPD)

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a form of clinical depression occurring after childbirth, typically within the first four to six weeks postpartum but potentially developing up to a year after delivery. It is distinguished from the brief "baby blues"—mild mood changes affecting up…

Psychoeducation

The process of providing education about a mental health condition, its symptoms, treatment options, and management strategies to individuals with the condition and their support networks. For OCD, psychoeducation helps people understand the nature of obsessions and compulsions,…

Psychosocial Disability(also: Psychosocial Impairment)

A disability that stems from diverse mental, cognitive, or emotional experiences that lead to impairment and experienced barriers in social participation. Psychosocial disabilities include conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health…

Reassurance Robot

A term coined by Grace Barkhuff (CHI 2026) to describe generative AI systems — such as ChatGPT — that, by default, provide reassurance, confession-hearing, and decision-making on demand, thereby accommodating the compulsions of people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).…

Reassurance Seeking(also: Reassurance-Seeking Behavior)

A compulsive behavior in OCD where individuals repeatedly seek confirmation from others (or from technology, such as internet searches) that feared outcomes have not occurred or will not occur. Reassurance seeking provides temporary anxiety relief but reinforces the…

Rejection Sensitivity(also: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, RSD)

An intense emotional response to perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or failure that is commonly experienced by neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with ADHD and autism. Rejection sensitivity can significantly impact job-seeking behaviour, as the fear of…

Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria(also: RSD)

An intense, disproportionate emotional response to perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or failure, commonly reported by people with ADHD and often linked to trauma from chronic social rejection and the ongoing stigma of neurodivergence. RSD is not a formal diagnostic…

Replika

Replika is a commercial AI companion app, launched by Luka Inc. in 2017, that offers users a customisable digital avatar designed to 'develop its own personality' through conversational interaction. Users can shape the avatar's appearance, relationship type (friend, mentor,…

Resilience(also: Psychological resilience, Dementia resilience)

Resilience refers to the dynamic capacity of an individual to adapt positively in the face of adversity and to maintain or recover a satisfactory level of psychological and functional well-being. In the context of dementia, resilience challenges deficit-based models that frame…

Responsibility OCD(also: Checking OCD, Responsibility Obsessions)

A subtype of OCD characterized by an exaggerated sense of responsibility for preventing harm or negative outcomes, accompanied by compulsive checking behaviors. People with responsibility OCD may repeatedly check that doors are locked, appliances are off, or that they have not…

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination(also: Revenge Procrastination)

The deliberate delay of sleep without external factors forcing the delay, in order to reclaim personal time lost during a busy or low-autonomy day. The "revenge" framing points to reclaiming agency over one’s own time. The behavior is particularly common among people with ADHD,…

Rumination(also: Mental Compulsion, Obsessive Rumination)

A repetitive, often circular pattern of thinking in which a person dwells on distressing thoughts, questions, or scenarios without reaching resolution. In OCD, rumination is a covert mental compulsion where individuals repeatedly analyze obsessive thoughts, seek mental…

SUDS(also: Subjective Units of Distress Scale, Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale)

A self-report scale, typically ranging from 0 to 100 or 0 to 10, used to measure the intensity of subjective distress or anxiety experienced by an individual in a given moment. SUDS ratings are widely used in exposure therapy for OCD and anxiety disorders to track anxiety levels…

Savoring

An emotion-regulation strategy involving the mindful noticing, appreciating, and intensifying of positive experiences — past, present, or anticipated future — to support subjective wellbeing. Savoring differs from general reminiscence in its deliberate focus on amplifying…

Schizophrenia(also: Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders)

A chronic psychiatric condition characterized by disturbances in thought, perception, emotion, and behavior, including symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, reduced emotional expression, and cognitive difficulties with memory, attention, and…

Scrupulosity(also: Moral OCD, Religious OCD)

A subtype of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) characterized by obsessions about having violated moral, ethical, or religious standards — for example, fear of having sinned, of having been dishonest, or of unintentionally supporting something the person believes is wrong.…

Self-Insight

The capacity to accurately understand one's own emotions, motivations, strengths, and patterns of thought and behaviour. Self-insight is a core outcome of therapy, journaling, and reflective practice, and is associated with improved emotion regulation, life satisfaction, and…

Self-Reflection(also: Reflective Practice)

The deliberate process of examining one's own thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences to gain insight, adjust behaviour, or support personal growth. Self-reflection is central to therapeutic models (cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness, reminiscence therapy),…

Social Anxiety(also: Social Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia)

Social anxiety (social anxiety disorder, SAD) is a mental-health condition characterised by persistent and intense fear of being judged, rejected or humiliated in social or performance situations, leading to avoidance of interactions that most people experience as routine. It is…

Social Isolation

A state of limited or absent social contact and interaction with others, which can result from physical, environmental, or psychological barriers. For people with disabilities and older adults, social isolation often stems from mobility limitations, communication difficulties,…

Social isolation(also: Loneliness, Social exclusion)

A state of limited or absent social contact and meaningful relationships, recognized as a significant risk factor for poor physical and mental health outcomes, particularly among older adults and people with disabilities. Social isolation can result from physical barriers…

Songwriting(also: Therapeutic Songwriting)

A therapeutic intervention in which a client, often collaborating with a therapist, composes original lyrics and musical elements as a way to explore emotions, reframe experiences, and build a sense of authorship over their own narrative. In music psychotherapy, songwriting is…

Stress Management(also: Stress Regulation, Stress Reduction)

The set of techniques and practices used to reduce the physiological and psychological impact of acute and chronic stress — including controlled breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, cognitive reappraisal, biofeedback, physical activity, and social…

Stress Process Model(also: Pearlin Stress Process Model)

A theoretical framework developed by Leonard Pearlin and colleagues (1981) that describes how stressors, mediators, and outcomes interact dynamically over time to shape psychological wellbeing. In caregiving research, the model is widely used to understand how primary stressors…

Supportive Empathy

A therapeutic conversational stance in which a listener responds to another person's feelings with affirmation, validation, and gentle encouragement rather than problem-solving or interpretation. In music-therapy practice supportive empathy is often paired with a 'holding'…

Symptom Tracking(also: Symptom Monitoring, Symptom Logging)

The systematic recording of mental health symptoms, behaviors, triggers, and associated contexts over time to build self-awareness, identify patterns, and measure treatment progress. For OCD, symptom tracking may include logging triggers, compulsive behaviors, anxiety levels…

Therapeutic Drift

A phenomenon in AI-mediated support contexts in which users begin to treat an emotionally supportive AI system as a substitute for professional clinical care or meaningful human relationships, rather than as a complementary tool. Therapeutic drift poses risks in caregiving and…

Thought Diffusion(also: Cognitive Defusion, Defusion)

A technique from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in which a person creates psychological distance from an intrusive thought by recognizing and naming it as simply a thought, rather than treating it as a fact or a command to act. For example, instead of reacting to the thought…

Trauma-Informed Care(also: TIC, Trauma-Informed Approach)

A framework originating in social work practice that asks organisations and service providers to recognise the widespread impact of trauma on the people they serve and to integrate that understanding into their policies, procedures, and interactions. Rather than directly…

Trigger Avoidance(also: Avoidance Behavior, OCD Avoidance)

A compulsive behavior pattern in OCD where individuals minimize or eliminate contact with situations, objects, people, or places that trigger their obsessions. Trigger avoidance ranges from subtle adaptations (using sleeves to touch door handles, using fewer fingers on surfaces)…

Trigger Hierarchy(also: Exposure Hierarchy, Fear Hierarchy, Fear Ladder)

A ranked list of situations, objects, or thoughts that trigger OCD anxiety, ordered from least to most distressing as measured by subjective distress ratings (SUDS). Trigger hierarchies are a foundational tool in Exposure and Response Prevention therapy, guiding the gradual…

Wearable Sensing(also: Wearable Sensors, Wearable Monitoring)

The use of body-worn devices such as smartwatches, wristbands, and biosensor patches to continuously monitor physiological signals including heart rate, electrodermal activity, skin temperature, blood volume pulse, and body movement. In mental health applications, wearable…