Considerations:

Use images and case examples that represent the wide range of people living with a mental illness.

Use destigmatizing language and images that convey hope and optimism to promote a culture of recovery.

Cautions:

Avoid using images and language that perpetuate stereotypes of people living with a mental illness as dangerous, criminal or unpredictable.

For example: images of people in strait jackets or pulling out their hair and screaming.

Avoid overusing images or case examples that perpetuate stereotypes that link certain types of mental illness with a specific group of people.

For example: attractive white women looking sad; disheveled people of color on the streets.

Considerations:

Use language that acknowledges mental illnesses as diseases.

For example: The term "substance abuse” puts the blame of the disorder on the individual's choice to misuse drugs or alcohol and ignores other factors. "Substance use disorder" is more appropriate.

Focus on the person first, not their diagnosis. Describe what the person has or is experiencing, not who the person is.

• Instead of "schizophrenic," say "person living with schizophrenia."

• Instead of "patient is psychotic," say "patient is experiencing psychosis.”

• Instead of "drug addict," say "person experiencing addiction."

Cautions:

Do not use "mental illness" as an aggregate term. Instead say "mental illnesses" or "a mental illness.”

Do not use non-clinical, stigmatizing or judgmental language. For example: crazy, disturbed, psychotic, unhinged, nuts.

Avoid using terms that imply a negative impact of mental illnesses. For example: afflicted, suffers, is a victim of. Instead, use "living with" or "is diagnosed with."

Do not use the word "normal," instead say "usual" or "typical." The term "normal" has no true definition and can make people feel inadequate, left out and defensive.

Do not say "committed suicide" which puts the blame on the choice of the individual. Instead, say "died by suicide" which suggests contributors and factors outside of the person's control.

Considerations:

Acknowledge how health disparities affect different groups of people regarding mental health.

Social and institutional discrimination, lack of access to quality mental health services and cultural stigma surrounding mental health care affects populations differently.

For example:

• Male patients and individuals from marginalized groups are often less inclined to seek help for mental health concerns due to cultural stigmas.

• People experiencing poverty can have a harder time accessing quality mental healthcare.

• The LBGTQ+ community experiences mental illnesses at a much higher rate than the rest of the population due to many factors including social and institutional discrimination.

Considerations:

Acknowledge that neurodiversity in and of itself does not imply a mental health condition that needs to be addressed.

Identify & discuss treatment of the symptoms causing the patient distress or impairment.

Caution:

Do not imply that mental illnesses are less "real" or "valid" than physical illnesses.

Do not imply that a person is responsible for or can control their mental illness.

Do not assume that a person experiencing a mental illness is incompetent and cannot be successful or accomplished.