A

(Generalized) ANXIETY DISORDER: Anxiety that is generalized and persistent but not restricted to, or even strongly predominating in, any particular environmental circumstances (i.e. it is "free- floating"). The dominant symptoms are variable but include complaints of persistent nervousness, trembling, muscular tensions, sweating, lightheadedness, palpitations, dizziness, and epigastric discomfort. Fears that the patient or a relative will shortly become ill or have an accident are often expressed.  ( ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders, Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines, WHO, 2010 update )

B

BODY IMAGE: The picture of our physical selves that we hold in our mind’s eye. Often this image does not resemble the way we actually look and competes with unrealistic weight or fitness expectations. Our emotions also affect our perceptions of our bodies.

BODY POSITIVITY: Feeling happy and proud of your body regardless of societal or cultural views of ideal shape and size.

C

CHILDHOOD: From the end of infancy — the first birthday — to the start of adolescence, and is characterized by relatively steady progress in growth and maturation and rapid progress in neuromuscular or motor development. It is often divided into early childhood (ages 1 to 5), and late childhood (ages 6 to the onset of adolescence).

CONFIDENCE: A person’s overall feeling of positive self-worth and self-efficacy. In this sense, confidence refers to a person’s global self-regard, not just in a specific situation.

COMPETENCE: Having a positive feeling of your ability or actions in specific situations. This can include social, cognitive, academic, and vocational competence. For example, social competence refers to interpersonal skills (e.g., conflict resolution). Cognitive competence refers to cognitive abilities (e.g., decision making). Academic competence refers to school grades and attendance. Vocational competence involves work habits and career choices.

D

DEPRESSION: Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness and poor concentration. It can be long lasting or recurrent, substantially impairing a person's ability to function at work or school, or cope with daily life. At its most severe, depression can lead to suicide. When mild, depression can be treated without medicines but, when moderate or severe, people may need medication and professional talking treatments. Non-specialists can reliably diagnose and treat depression as part of primary health care. Specialist care is needed for a small proportion of people with complicated depression or those who do not respond to first-line treatments. Depression often starts at a young age. It affects women more often than men, and unemployed people are also at high risk. ( Depression, Fact sheet nr 369, WHO, October 2012)

DEVELOPMENT: The interrelationship between growth and maturation in relation to the passage of time. The concept of development also includes the social, emotional, intellectual, and motor realms of the child. The terms growth and maturation are often used together and sometimes synonymously. However, each refers to specific biological activities. GROWTH refers to observable, step-by-step, measurable changes in body size such as height, weight, and percentage of body fat. MATURATION refers to qualitative system changes, both structural and functional in nature, in the organism’s progress toward maturity; for example, the change of cartilage to bone in the skeleton.

DISCRIMINATION: The denial of equal treatment and opportunity to individuals or groups because of personal characteristics and membership in specific groups, with respect to education, accommodation, health care, employment, access to services, goods, and facilities. This behaviour results from distinguishing people on that basis without regard to individual merit, resulting in unequal outcomes for persons who are perceived as different. Differential treatment that may occur on the basis of any of the protected grounds enumerated in human rights law.

E

EMERGING ADULTHOOD: A period in development that represents the end of adolescence and transition into young-adulthood, spanning the late teens and early twenties (i.e., 18 to 25 years old). This period is typically characterized by increased independence, responsibilities, and identity exploration.

EQUALITY: The process of allocating resources, programs and decision making so that different groups have the same (e.g., in the case of gender, men and women would each receive 50% of the resources and facilities, and each have access to the same program).

EQUITY: The process of allocating resources, programs and decision-making fairly to all. This requires ensuring that everyone has access to a full range of opportunities to achieve the social, psychological and physical benefits that come from participating in sport and recreation. It does not necessarily mean making the same programs and facilities available to all. Gender equity requires that women, girls be provided with a full range of activity and program choices that meet their needs. Therefore, some activities may be the same as those offered to boys and men, some may be altered, and some may be altogether different.

G

GENDER: Socially constructed roles, relationships, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for girls/women and boys/men. Feminine and masculine are gender categories.

GENDER EXPRESSION: The way gender is presented and communicated to the world through clothing, speech, body language, hairstyle, voice and/or the emphasis or de-emphasis of body characteristics and behaviours.

GENDER IDENTITY: A person’s internal and individual experience of gender. It is not necessarily visible to others, and it may or may not align with what society expects based on assigned sex.

GENDERFLUID: A person whose gender identity is experienced as being on a spectrum that varies over time.

GENDERQUEER: A person who experiences attraction to people of the same sex and/or gender as themselves. Individuals who identify as genderqueer may move between genders, identify with multiple genders, or reject the gender binary or gender altogether.

GENDER ROLES: Refers to how one is expected to act speak, dress, groom, and conduct oneself in society based upon one’s assigned sex at birth (i.e., male, female). For example, girls and women are generally expected to be nurturing and the caregivers. Men and boys are generally expected to be strong and the providers.

I

INTERSECTIONALITY: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, that creates overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

M

MENTAL HEALTH: Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual can realize his or her own potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and make a contribution to the community. ( Strengthening mental health promotion, Fact sheet No 220,  WHO, 2001 )

S

STIMGA: A distinguishing mark establishing a demarcation between the stigmatized person and others attributing negative characteristics to this person. The stigma attached to mental illness often leads to social exclusion and discrimination and creates an additional burden for the affected individual. ( Policies and practices for mental health in Europe. Meeting the challenges, ISBN 978 92 890 4279 6,  WHO/Europe, 2008 )