Glossary / Lexicon

Chronic means longterm; long period of time. Chronic is an important term in medicine that comes from the Greek "chronos" (time) and means lasting a long time. By the definition of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, a chronic condition is one lasting three (3) months or more.

Description

In psychology, "chronic" refers to conditions, behaviors, or experiences that persist over an extended period, typically lasting for months or years. Chronic psychological phenomena can include persistent mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These conditions often exhibit prolonged duration and may involve recurrent episodes or symptoms that persist despite various interventions. Chronic stress, a common psychological phenomenon, can result from ongoing exposure to stressful life events or chronic environmental stressors, leading to long-term physiological and psychological consequences. Individuals experiencing chronic psychological issues may face challenges in daily functioning, relationships, and overall well-being, requiring comprehensive assessment and treatment strategies tailored to their specific needs. Understanding the factors contributing to chronic psychological conditions is essential for effective intervention and management.

Application Areas

• Clinical psychology
• Health psychology
• Community psychology
• Counseling psychology
• Trauma psychology
• Geropsychology

Treatment and Risks

• Treatment: Treatment approaches for chronic psychological conditions may include psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle interventions, and supportive services aimed at managing symptoms, improving coping skills, and enhancing overall quality of life.
• Risks: Chronic psychological conditions can lead to a range of adverse outcomes, including functional impairment, reduced quality of life, increased risk of comorbid medical conditions, and heightened vulnerability to psychological crises or relapse.

Examples

• Chronic depression characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and low self-esteem lasting for months or years.
• Chronic pain syndromes accompanied by psychological distress and disability, such as fibromyalgia or chronic lower back pain.
• Chronic stress resulting from ongoing workplace challenges, caregiving responsibilities, or socioeconomic stressors, leading to psychological and physical health consequences.

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

• Persistent
• Enduring
• Long-lasting
• Prolonged
• Recurrent
• Sustained

Weblinks

• environment-database.eu: 'Chronic' in the glossary of the environment-database.eu

Articles with 'Chronic' in the title

• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) : Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) : chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) refers to incapacitating exhaustion following only minimal exertion, accompanied by fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, depression, and . . .
• Chronic illness: Chronic illness: Chronic illness refers to a type of illness that is long lasting, permanent or long-term and often irreversible- illnesses that persist over long periods of time, such as diabetes or arthritis that often results in some typ . . .
• Chronic illnesses: Chronic illnesses refer to illnesses that are long lasting and often irreversible. Description- In psychology, chronic illnesses refer to long-term health conditions that persist over an extended period, typically lasting for three months o . . .
• Chronic pain: chronic pain refers to enduring pain that does not decrease over time which may occur in muscles, joints, and the lower back and may be caused by enlarged blood vessels or degenerating or cancerous tissue
• Chronic persistence trajectory: Chronic persistence trajectory refers to growth curve of children who are highly aggressive early in life and who display the same high or escalating levels of aggression throughout childhood and adolescence
• Chronic progressive pain: Chronic progressive pain: Chronic progressive pain refers to pain that persists longer than six (6) months and increases in severity over time. It is typically associated with malignancies or degenerative disorders, like Skeletal metastatic . . .
• Chronic Stress: Chronic Stress in the context of psychology refers to a state of ongoing, persistent stress that continues for an extended period, often due to unrelenting demands and pressures of daily life
• Chronic Grief: Chronic Grief: Chronic Grief refers to continuance of acute grief reactions over time.
• Chronic grief reaction: Chronic grief reaction: Chronic grief reactions refer to one of the four (4) types of Complicated grief reactions identified by Worden (2002) which are prolonged in duration and do not lead to an appropriate outcome, as when individuals . . .
• Chronic accessibility: Chronic accessibility: Chronic accessibility refers to the degree to which schemas are easily activated for an individual across time and situations
• Chronic care: Chronic care: Chronic care are services for individuals who need rehabilitation or who cannot perform activities of daily living because of Chronic pain, illnesses/diseases
• Chronic diseases: Chronic diseases: Chronic diseases are diseases that develop or persist over a long period of time. They are conditions that last a longer period of time, at least 3 months and more and may be accompanied by residual functional impairment . . .
• Chronic self-esteem: Chronic self-esteem: Chronic self-esteem is the positive or negative way in which a person views himself or herself as a whole.
• Chronic stressors: Chronic stressors: Chronic
• Chronic conditions: Chronic conditions: Chronic conditions are conditions having a gradual onset and long duration of time or long term
• Chronic strain: Chronic strain: Chronic strain refers to aA stressful experience that is a usual but continually stressful aspect of life.
• Polychronic activity: Polychronic activity means doing more than one activity or behavior at a time
• Prechronic pain: Prechronic pain is defined as pain that endures beyond the acute phase but has not yet become chronic.
• Chronic recurrent pain: Chronic recurrent pain refers to alternating episodes of intense pain and no pain. Other /More definition: Chronic recurrent pain means alternating episodes of intense pain and no pain.

Summary

In psychology, "chronic" refers to conditions, behaviors, or experiences that persist over an extended period, often lasting for months or years. These may include enduring mental health disorders, ongoing stress, or persistent patterns of behavior. Treatment for chronic psychological issues typically involves a comprehensive approach addressing symptoms, coping strategies, and underlying factors contributing to the condition. However, managing chronic psychological conditions carries risks such as functional impairment and reduced quality of life, necessitating ongoing support and intervention to promote recovery and well-being.