Glossary of Terms
abstinence: nonuse of a specific substance.
abuse: harmful use of a specific substance.
addiction: a disease process characterized by the continued use of a specific
psychoactive substance despite physical, psychological, or social harm.
AIDS: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A disease characterized by
opportunistic infections (e.g., Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, candidiasis,
Kaposi's sarcoma) in persons whose immune systems are weakened; caused by
the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and transmitted by exchange of body
fluids.
at risk: term used to identify individuals based upon a composite profile of
various risk factors.
case manager: one who defines, initiates, and monitors the medical, substance
abuse treatment, psychosocial, and social services provided for the client and her
family.
cross training: to be trained in several disciplines to facilitate broader
coverage in a treatment unit.
dependence: abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, such that to stop using
would result in physical and/or psychological symptoms of withdrawal.
dual disorders: denotes the coexistence of two independent, but invariably
interactive disorders.
early intervention: a strategy to identify problems early in the development
cycle, to minimize risk factors, and to prevent progression to more serious
problems.
epidemiology: the study of the relationship between various factors that
determine the frequency and distribution of diseases in human and other animal
populations.
fetal alcohol effects (FAE): diagnosis given to a child who shows signs of prenatal
exposure to alcohol but who does not meet all the criteria for an FAS diagnosis.
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): a syndrome caused by prenatal exposure to
alcohol through maternal use. Characterized by small head size, mental retardation,
heart or other organ defects, and facial features including small eyes, drooping
eyelids, flat midface, and a simple philtrurn (underdevelopment or absence of the
indentation in the upper lip).
gonorrhea: a sexually transmitted disease manifested by an inflammation of the
genital mucous membrane.
HIV: human immunodeficiency virus. Retroviruses that become incorporated into
host cell DNA and result in a wide range of clinical presentations varying from
asymptomatic carrier states to severely debilitating and fatal disorders. AIDS is a
secondary immunodeficiency syndrome resulting from HIV infection and
characterized by opportunistic infections, malignancies, neurologic dysfunction, and
a variety of other syndromes.
incidence: the number of new cases within a particular period of time.
maternal alcohol and other drug use/abuse: use or abuse of drugs or
alcohol by a woman during pregnancy.
morbidity: pertaining to severe illness.
mortality: pertaining to death.
perinatal: clinical definition-the period from the 20th-28th weeks of pregnancy
through four weeks after birth. Program definition (e.g. Healthy Start)-the period
from conception through the first year of life.
polydrug use: use of multiple drugs.
postneonatal: the period from six weeks after birth to the end of the first year
of life.
postpartum: the period after childbirth (up to a few weeks); usually refers to the
mother.
prenatal care: refers to health promotion, risk assessment, and intervention
linked to the risks and conditions uncovered. Prenatal care begins when
conception is first considered and continues until labor begins.
prevalence: the total number of cases at a particular point in time.
problem use: use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs that does not fit the criteria
for abuse or dependence, but that does bear significant risks.
psychotropic: pertaining to drugs used in treatment of mental illness;
affecting the mind.
recovery: a process that supports abstinence from alcohol and/or other drug use,
involves changes in social, physical, and psychological functioning, and that may or
may not have an end.
relapse: is any occasion of alcohol or other drug use by a recovering person when
such use violates her/his own prior commitment to recovery.
resiliency: the ability to withstand or minimize the effects of an illness, exposure to
alcohol and other drugs, continued use or abuse of alcohol and other drugs, or to
social and environmental factors contributing to such conditions.
risk: the association between an exposure and the likelihood of an outcome or
effect.
service delivery system: the full continuum of health and other care providers,
alcohol and other drug prevention and treatment providers, and public and
community-based organizations involved in providing services to women, children,
and families.
stabilization: the accomplishment of a steady, nonvarying physical state.
STD: sexually transmitted disease; venereal disease. Any of several diseases that
can be contracted through sexual intercourse, for example, gonorrhea, chlamydial
infection, herpes, syphilis, genital warts, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
syndrome: the combination of signs and symptoms associated with any morbid
process, which together constitute the picture of the disease.
syphilis: a chronic, contagious, often congenital, sexually transmitted venereal
disease caused by a spirochete. If left untreated, it will usually progress through
three stages of increasing severity over many years and may eventually lead to
death.
treatment: a broad range of services for persons who have abused alcohol and/or
other drugs; may include detoxification, inpatient or outpatient care and counseling,
methadone maintenance, rehabilitation, and long-term residence in supervised
housing.