Glossary / Lexicon

Abuse refers to harmful or injurious treatment of a person to another person which may include physical, sexual, verbal, sychological/emotional, intellectual, or spiritual maltreatment.

Abuse is a complex psychosocial problem that affects large numbers of adults as well as children throughout the world. It is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) under the heading of "Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention." Although abuse was first defined with regard to children when it first received sustained attention in the 1950s, clinicians and researchers now recognize that adults can suffer abuse in a number of different circumstances.

Description

Abuse in the psychology context refers to the mistreatment or maltreatment of individuals that can have a detrimental impact on their mental and emotional well-being. This can include physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse, and may occur in various settings such as relationships, families, workplaces, or institutions. Abuse often involves a power dynamic where one person exerts control over another through harmful behaviors. The effects of abuse can be long-lasting and may result in trauma, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, or other psychological disorders. It is important for individuals who have experienced abuse to seek help from mental health professionals to address the impact of the trauma and work towards healing and recovery.

Application Areas

• Counseling and therapy for abuse survivors
• Research on the effects of abuse on mental health
• Developing interventions to prevent and address abuse
• Training programs for professionals working with abuse survivors

Treatment and Risks

• Therapy and counseling to address trauma and promote healing
• Support groups for abuse survivors to connect with others who have had similar experiences
• Risks of untreated abuse include ongoing mental health issues, relationship difficulties, and continued exposure to harmful situations

Examples

• Childhood abuse leading to adult mental health issues
• Workplace harassment causing stress and anxiety in employees
• Intimate partner violence resulting in trauma and emotional distress

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

• Mistreatment
• Victimization
• Exploitation

Articles with 'Abuse' in the title

• Alcohol abuse: Alcohol abuse refers to diagnosis given to someone who uses alcohol in dangerous situations, fails to meet obligations at work or at home due to alcohol use, and has recurrent legal or social problems as a result of alcohol use
• Antabuse (disulfiram): Antabuse (disulfiram) : Antabuse (disulfiram ) refers to drug that helps people break an alcohol habit by impairing their ability to convert acetaldehyde to acetic acid
• Child abuse: Child abuse is a term used to describe any extreme maltreatment of children, involving physical battering- sexual molestations- psychological insults such as persistent ridicule, rejection, and terrorization- and physical or emotional . . .
• Computer abuse: Computer abuse refers to a willful or negligent unauthorized activity that affects the availability, confidentiality, or integrity of computer resources
• Drug abuse: Drug abuse refers to any use of drugs that causes physical, psychological, legal, or social harm to the individual user or to others affected by the drug user’s behavior
• Elder Abuse: Elder Abuse: Elder abuse refers to any physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, or financial abuse perpetrated against an older adult. Elder abuse is most often committed by caretakers, whether they are family members or nursing home . . .
• Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse refer to abusive Behavior that involves acts or omissions by parents or caregivers that cause, or could cause, serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental diso rders
• Physical abuse: Physical abuse refers to the infliction or risk of physical injury as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking, or otherwise intentionally harming a child
• Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse refers to abusive acts that are sexual in nature, including fondling a child"s genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and commercial exploitation thr- ough prostitution or the production of pornographic . . .
• Substance abuse: Substance abuse refers to the use of a mood-altering substance in such a way that it is either socially unacceptable or impairs social, medical and/or occupational functioning
• Verbal Abuse: Verbal Abuse refers to the use of language to manipulate, control, ridicule, insult, humiliate, belittle, vilify, and show disrespect and disdain to another, and is often a component of other types of abuse

Weblinks

• top500.de: 'Abuse' in the glossary of the top500.de

Summary

Abuse in the psychology context involves the mistreatment and maltreatment of individuals, leading to detrimental effects on their mental and emotional well-being. It can manifest in various forms such as physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse, often stemming from a power dynamic. Seeking help from mental health professionals is crucial for addressing the trauma and working towards healing and recovery.

--