guardianship

n. a legal arrangement that places the care of a person and his or her property in the hands of another. When people are minors or are deemed incompetent by the court and therefore unable to make decisions about their own care or to manage their own affairs, a guardian is appointed by the court to manage their property, make personal decisions on their behalf, and provide for their care and well-being. See also conservatorship; limited guardianship.

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Psychology term of the day

July 27th 2024

primary insomnia

in DSM–IV–TR, a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty in initiating or maintaining a restorative sleep to a degree in which the severity and persistence of the sleep disturbance causes clinically significant distress, impairment in a significant area of functioning, or both. The disorder is not caused by a general medical condition or the effects of a substance and is not exclusively an aspect of another sleep disorder or mental disorder. It is termed insomnia disorder in DSM–5. See dyssomnia. Compare primary hypersomnia.