Words and images about mental health matter

Consider how you talk about mental health

The words we use to discuss mental health can reinforce stereotypes, myths and stigma. 

In addition to reinforcing stereotypes, using language that is humiliating to someone living with mental ill-health could contravene anti-discrimination legislation. 

Just by thinking about how you talk about or depict mental ill-health means you are taking the first step in addressing the myths and stigma about mental health challenges and mental illness.

Tips for talking about mental health

The words you use to discuss mental health must be respectful and accepting. Messages should be clear, positive and show that you see people as individuals who have many elements to their lives.

These tips can help when talking about mental health and people experiencing mental ill-health:

Do:

• use words that are easy to understand
• focus on the person, not the mental ill-health e.g. say a person is ‘living with’ or ‘is being treated for’ a mental illness
• use the correct terms for treatments e.g. antidepressants, psychiatrist, psychologist
• reword anything that uses psychiatric or medical terminology incorrectly or out of context
• focus on strengths and abilities, not just issues and problems
• If you are talking about a specific person’s experience, check you understand what you have been told and are communicating only facts and things they are willing to share.

Don’t:

• use jargon
• use terms that imply someone should be pitied e.g. that a person is ‘suffering from depression’
• use inappropriate words that are condescending, sensationalist or stigmatising
• pretend to know how someone else feels
• blame a person for their condition or their circumstances
• be judgemental or argumentative when talking to someone about their experience.
• use language that sensationalises mental illness and reinforces stigma e.g. using terms such as ‘mental patient’, ‘nutter’, ‘lunatic’, ‘psycho’, ‘schizo’, ‘deranged’, ‘mad’
• use words that suggest a lack of quality of life for people with mental illness e.g. ‘suffering from depression’, ‘a victim of mental illness’
• label a person by their mental illness e.g. saying someone is ‘schizophrenic’
• describe behaviour using words that imply mental illness e.g. saying someone behaving erratically is ‘deranged’ or ‘psychotic’
• use colloquialisms e.g. ‘shrink’, ‘happy pills’
• use terms out of context e.g. saying things like ‘schizophrenic economy’.

You may need to be mindful of cultural factors

Cultural factors can also affect how we talk about mental health. Mental ill-health may be heavily stigmatised in some cultures. 

Here are some things to remember when talking about mental health with people from a range of backgrounds:

• Be aware that a person’s culture will shape how they understand mental health and illness. For example, Aboriginal people may refer to ‘social and emotional wellbeing’.
• Learn about how a particular community describes mental ill-health and their cultural beliefs about mental ill-health. For example:
  • know what words they use (or do not use) to talk about mental illness
  • know what concepts, behaviours or words can cause shame in relation to mental health (e.g. consider whether eye contact or smiling is appropriate, physical proximity)
• Be aware of what concepts, behaviours or language are taboo.
• If possible, use interpreters with a specialised knowledge of mental health. But be mindful of the interpreter’s dialect, gender and political or ethnic background. 
• Do not equate a person’s level of language skill with their level of intelligence or credibility.
• Use gender neutral language, where appropriate. 

Consider how images support your message

Using images can help deliver important messages about mental illness by:

• increasing your reader’s attention
• improving their ability to remember your messages
• improving understanding by showing the relationship between ideas
• benefitting readers with low literacy skills
• promoting adherence to instructions from health professionals.

Here are some tips for choosing images:

• Consider how you are representing the wide range of human experiences and communities.
• Consider whether the images you select are reinforcing unhelpful attitudes.
• Use images that model hope or support.
• Be inclusive.
• Move away from stereotypical images of people looking distressed, sad or that imply medical settings.