Spanish Mental Health Glossary

This Spanish-English bilingual mental health glossary was developed to support the many dedicated individuals around the country who provide interpretation services to limited English-speaking patients in health care and social services settings. In a field where misinterpretation and misunderstanding can be serious and even fatal, finding the "right words" to interpret or translate in mental health terminology is a tremendous challenge. We hope this glossary helps in that valuable work. The terms and phrases included here range from very technical psychosocial terms, such as "echolalia," to less technical but equally challenging terms to translate, such as "intake screening." This glossary is not definitive; it is only intended to provide a foundation in mental health terminology. Each term or phrase in the glossary is accompanied by an English definition. Each definition captures the meaning and use of a word or phrase in a psychosocial context. These definitions were reviewed and edited by mental health professionals.