Language and the meanings attached to words often influence, develop and change the attitudes towards mental health and substance use disorders. Your word choices help illuminate and create greater understanding, and, by doing so, make it more likely people in need will seek help. Conversely, your choice of words can perpetuate stereotyping and discrimination.

Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide

Media and online coverage of suicide should be informed by best practices. The way media covers suicide can either influence behavior negatively by contributing to contagion or positively by encouraging help-seeking. For reporting on suicide best practices, please visit reportingonsuicide.org.

Here is another set of media guidelines for reporting on suicide developed by the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Center for Suicide Prevention and Research and OhioMHAS.

Word Matter

The use of “person-first” language – words that describe a person as having a condition and not as the condition itself (example: a person with schizophrenia vs. a schizophrenic, people with a mental illness vs. the mentally ill) – helps humanize the issue by placing the focus on the person living with a health condition. On the other hand, using terms like “crazy” or “addict” can perpetuate stereotypes and the discrimination experienced by people living with mental health and substance use disorders.

The words we use have an impact, so let’s work together to shift our language to be people focused. Here are some resources to get started:

• Word Matter Resource Card created by the OhioMHAS Language First Team provides language change suggestions when talking about substance use disorders.
• The Carter Center’s Journalism Resource Guide on Behavioral Health provides guidelines for reporting accurately, fairly and sensitively on mental illness and substance use disorders.

Voices of Recovery

Another way our media partners can encourage help seeking and decrease the stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders is by creating opportunities for individuals in recovery to share their stories. The ADAMHS Board has a Recovery Speakers Bureau for individuals living in recovery who would like to share their stories as recovery advocates. To request a speaker, you can fill out speaker request form on the Recovery Speakers Bureau page. If you are a member of the media and your request is time sensitive, you can also contact Latoya Hunter Hayes, Chief of External Affairs.