Jealousy is a commonly experienced emotion which has been observed in infants as young as 5-6 months of age and across the lifespan of an individual. In its extreme form jealousy can be pathological, when the belief which may be a delusion, obsession or an overvalued idea, is held on inadequate grounds and is unaffected by rational discussion.

Morbid jealousy differs from normal jealousy in its intensity or rationality. It can be thought of as hypersensitive jealousy since jealous reactions are experienced at a much lower threshold than in average individuals. Morbid jealousy is a disorder in which an individual believes that their partner is, or will be, sexually unfaithful.

Morbid jealousy can occur when a partner is in fact being unfaithful, provided that the evidence for the infidelity is incorrect and there is an excessive or irrational response to such evidence. The preoccupation with the partner's infidelity is often triggered by vivid mental images of their partner's past or present relationships.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) differ from almost every other psychiatric diagnosis in that they may only be diagnosed with reference to an aetiological event – an external traumatic stressor. ASD occurs immediately after the stressor and is comparatively short-lived, while PTSD is a prolonged abnormal response that may take months to develop. The types of stressor leading to ASD and PTSD are identical and were intended to be tightly defined, involving a perceived threat of death, serious injury or loss of physical integrity.

It is useful initially to distinguish ASD and PTSD from adjustment disorders, which are also diagnosed only after an observable life event. An adjustment disorder may be thought of as a gradual and prolonged response to stressful changes in a person's life. The range of stressors precipitating an adjustment disorder is potentially much broader than that precipitating ASD or PTSD, as a threat of death or injury is not needed.

Indeed, a ‘threat’ as such is not needed, as the event may be a loss. Events such as job loss or the breakup of a relationship may lead to an adjustment disorder, as well as threats such as accidents or assaults. The diagnostic criteria for adjustment disorder do not specify what the immediate response, if any, to the precipitating stressor must be.

The impact of prenatal alcohol exposure is far reaching and transgenerational but is largely under diagnosed. This has been a major public health concern but remains an area that has lacked attention with regards service development and research in Ireland. There is a need for mental health professionals to have a good working knowledge of the range of deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Knowledge of these deficits will facilitate identification of affected children for early diagnosis and intervention. This paper reviews available literature on this topic using broad search criteria. The aim of this article is to create greater awareness among professionals working with children in Ireland considering the high rates of alcohol consumption and the fact that most cases of FASD present with chronic undiagnosed mental health problems.

The word ‘adherence’ refers to the provision of consistent support (eg. for a political party or religion) or the act of holding particular elements together (eg. in constructing a building). In the medical context, adherence refers to the extent to which patients take their medications as prescribed. While the terminology related to medical adherence has changed significantly over the past two millennia, the core issue has not. Most recently, the term ‘adherence’ has replaced the term ‘compliance’, although it still jostles with ‘concordance’ in a growing literature which focuses now, as always, on one key question: why do so many people seek treatment for illness but then decide not to take their prescribed medication? This is an important question, both in terms of public health and societal cost: in the US, up to 50% of patients do not take their prescribed medications, resulting in additional healthcare costs of $290 billion per year. The greatest cost of non-adherence, however, relates to prolonged illness, increased rates of relapse and reduced wellness.