emotional support

the verbal and nonverbal processes by which one communicates care and concern for another, offering reassurance, empathy, comfort, and acceptance. It may be a major factor contributing to the effectiveness of self-help groups, within which members both provide and receive emotional support, and to attachment, in which the caregiver provides emotional support to the child.

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Psychology term of the day

December 7th 2024

catatonia

n. a state of muscular rigidity or other disturbance of motor behavior, such as catalepsy, extreme overactivity, or adoption of bizarre postures. It is most frequently observed in catatonic schizophrenia, but it can also occur with other disorders, such as bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and neurological conditions such as encephalitis, among others. Also called catatonic state. —catatonic adj.