Acronym buster

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Here are some common acronyms used in mental health and mental health care:

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AAWR – As and when required; same as PRN

AC – Approved clinician

AHP – Allied health professional

AMHP – Approved mental health professional (formerly ASW)

AMU – Acute medical unit

AO – Assertive outreach

ASW – Approved social worker (now AMHP)

AWOL – Absent without leave

BAI – Beck anxiety inventory (test)

BDI – Beck depression inventory (test)

BIA – Best interests assessor

BNF – British National Formulary

BYI – Beck youth inventory (test)

CAMHS – Child and adolescent mental health services

CAT – Cognitive analytic therapy

CATT – Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team

CBT – Cognitive behavioural therapy

CC – Care coordinator

CMHRS – Community mental health recovery service (same as CMHT)

CMHT – Community mental health team (see also CMHRS)

CPA – Care programme approach

CPN – Community psychiatric nurse

CQC Care Quality Commission

CRHT – Crisis resolution and home treatment

CTO – Community treatment order

DAMA – Dishcarge against medical advice

DBS – Disclosure and barring service

DBT – Dialectical behavior therapy

DH or DoH – Department of Health

DIT – Dynamic interpersonal therapy

DNA – Did not attend

DOLS – Deprivation of liberty safeguards

DWP – Department for Work and Pensions

ECT – Electroconvulsive therapy

EBE – Expert by experience

EMDR – Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing

FFT – Friends and Family Test

FTD – Formal thought disorder

GMC – General Medical Council

HCA – Health care assistant

HWE Healthwatch England

HONOS – Health of the nations outcome scale

HTT – Home treatment team

HWE – Healthwatch England

IAPT – Increasing access to psychological therapies (programme)

IMCA – Independent mental capacity advocate

IMHA – Independent mental health advocate

IMI – Intra-muscular injection

IPT – Interpersonal psychodynamic therapy

NKDA – No known drug allergy

KPI – Key performance indicator

LAI – Long acting injection

LTCP – Long term challenging patient (used in nursing homes/community care)

LUNSERS – Liverpool University neuroleptic side effects rating scale

MDT – Multi-disciplinary team

MHA – Mental Health Act

MHRT – Mental health review tribunal

MIMHS – Mother and infant mental health

MOHO – Model of Human occupation

MSE or MMSE – Mini-mental state examination

MWIA – Mental well-being impact assessment

NICE – National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

NMC – Nursing and Midwifery Council

NMP – Non medical prescriber

OOH – Out of hours

OTC – Over-the-counter

PALS – Patient advice and liaison service

PANSS – Positive and negative syndrome scale (test)

PASS – Patient Advice and Support Service (Scotland)

PBR – Payment by results

PICU – Psychiatric intensive care unit (or paediatric ICU)

PIT – Psychodynamic interpersonal therapy

PPG – Patient participation group

PRN – Pro re nata (medication that is given when needed); same as AAWR

RC – Responsible clinician

RCGP – Royal College of General Practitioners

RCP – Royal College of Psychiatrists

RCT – Randomised controlled trial

RMHN – Registered mental health nurse

SCL-90 – Symptom checklist (test)

SHO – Senior house officer

SOAD – Second opinion approved doctor

T2 form – MHA consent to treatment form

T3 form – MHA non-consent to treatment form

TSI – Trauma symptom inventory (test)

TTO or TTA – To Take Outs or To Take Aways

WRAP – Wellness recovery action plan

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Finally, here’s a link to the NHS Confederation’s acronym buster for the wider NHS, where you can also download the free NHS Acronym app, with over 500 commonly used NHS acronyms.

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With thanks to the following for their contributions:

Bexatron (@DuckBeaki), Emilia Duriez-Well (@Emmyduriezwebb), Lwellyn Jenkins (@David_Hughes89), James Andrews (@aptaim), Natalie Moore (@NatalieMHN), Alex Bridge (@mrajbridge), Gemma (@BacrickGemma), Al (@weeal36), Alex Bridge (@mrajbridge), Craig Mullaney (@Mull1974), Ermintrude (@Ermintrude2), Dr Gordon Milson (@gordonmilson)

If you have more, please feel free to add them in the comments below.

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