Language Usage for Mental Illness Helps Reduce Stigma

Usage of appropriate language to describe mental illness and addiction may help in reducing the stigma. This would in turn improve the way people with these conditions are treated in health care settings and throughout society as per a study at the NIH/National Institute On Drug Abuse, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Stigma refers to the negative attitudes toward people based on certain distinguishing characteristics. It has been linked to a negative health outcome that may further pose a barrier for seeking mental illness treatment including substance use disorder.

It is estimated that 35% of people with serious mental illness in the U.S., and nearly 90% of people with substance use disorders do not receive treatment. The study reports that stigma-related bias among clinicians may give rise to a treatment-averse mindset and flawed clinical care. This includes even the failure to implement proven methods of treatment.

Language Usage and Stigma Barrier

This would further worsen the state of a person with mental illness as they begin to internalize it and contribute to symptoms like "self-stigma", lower self-esteem, and reduced self-worth. This exacerbated symptoms would again complete the cycle of treatment failure in these patients.

Thus efforts to reduce stigma may reduce the psychological burden of these individuals and removing barriers to treatment and care. The present study draws the evidence of various other data that highlight the importance of using apt language for mental illness description as key to reducing stigma.

Although stigma may be difficult to eliminate, this shift in language may be vital in mobilizing the resources toward mental health and addiction services. This would enhance the treatment care in these patients.

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Source-Medindia