NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents
Ketosis A condition characterized by an abnormally
elevated concentration of ketones in the body
tissues and fluids, which can be caused by starvation.
It is a complication of diabetes, starvation, and
alcoholism. Level of Care The care setting and intensity of care
that a patient is receiving (e.g., inpatient hospital,
outpatient hospital, outpatient residential, intensive
outpatient, residential). Health plans and insurance
companies correlate their payment structures to the
level of care being provided and also map a patient’s
eligibility for a particular level of care to the
patient’s medical/ psychological status.
Major Depression See Major Depressive Disorder.
Major Depressive Disorder A condition that is
characterized by one or more major depressive
episodes that consist of periods of two or more
weeks during which a patient has either a depressed
mood of loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all
activities. (See Depression)
Mallory-Weiss Tear One or more slit-like tears in the
mucosa at the lower end of the esophagus as a
result of severe vomiting.
Mandometer Therapy Treatment program for eating
disorders based on the idea that psychiatric
symptoms of people with eating disorders emerge as
a result of poor nutrition and are not a cause of the
eating disorder. A Mandometer is a computer that
measures food intake and is used to determine a
course of therapy.
Mandates See State Mandates.
Massage Therapy A generic term for any of a number
of various types of therapeutic touch in which the
practitioner massages, applies pressure to, or
manipulates muscles, certain points on the body, or
other soft tissues to improve health and well-being.
Massage therapy is thought to relieve anxiety and
depression in patients with an eating disorder.
Maudsley Method A family-centered treatment
program with three distinct phases. The first phase
for a patient who is severely underweight is to regain
control of eating habits and break the cycle of
starvation or binge eating and purging. The second
phase begins once the patient’s eating is under
control with a goal of returning independent eating
to the patient. The goal of the third and final phase is
is to address the broader concerns of the
patient’s development.
Mealtime Support Therapy Treatment program
developed to help patients with eating disorders eat
healthfully and with less emotional upset.
Mental Health Parity Laws Federal and State laws
that require health insurers to provide the same
level of healthcare benefits for mental disorders and
conditions as they do for medical disorders and
conditions. For example, the federal Mental Health
Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA) may prevent a group
health plan from placing annual or lifetime dollar
limits on mental health benefits that are lower, or
less favorable, than annual or lifetime dollar limits
for medical and surgical benefits offered under the
plan. Mia Slang. For bulimia or bulimic.
Modified Cyclic Antidepressants A class of
medications used to treat depression.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors A class of
medications used to treat depression.
Mood Disorders Mental disorders characterized by
periods of depression, sometimes alternating with
periods of elevated mood. People with mood
disorders suffer from severe or prolonged mood
states that disrupt daily functioning. Among the
general mood disorders classified in the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)
are major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and
dysthymia. (See Anxiety and Major Depressive
Disorder) Movement/Dance Therapy The psychotherapeutic
use of movement as a process that furthers the
emotional, cognitive, social, and physical integration
of the individual, according to the American Dance
Therapy Association.
Page | 91