Language for Mental Health
Did you know?
Did you know that the language we use around mental health can make a difference in how likely a person is to seek help?
People may live with anxiety or depression, or have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, but they are more than just the condition. By putting the person first, and the mental health condition second, it removes the stigma and increases the likelihood that someone will seek the help they need.
So, Johnno may be living with depression, Steve with schizophrenia, and Tracey might be receiving treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They may have a mental illness, but they are, first and foremost, a person. Let’s put people first, and their mental illness second.
Key points:
A lot of stigma still exists around the label of “mental health”.
When people feel judged about their mental health, it can prevent them from seeking support.
When we put a person before their mental health, it removes the label and the judgement, and can make them feel more comfortable about seeking support.
Volkow, N.D., Gordon, J.A. & Koob, G.F. Choosing appropriate language to reduce the stigma around mental illness and substance use disorders. Neuropsychopharmacol. [Internet]. 2021 [cited October 2021]; Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-021-01069-4
Everymind. Language and stigma [Internet]. 2021 [cited October 2021]. Available from: https://everymind.org.au/mental-health/understanding-mental-health/language-and-stigma