The words we use to describe mental illnesses and substance use disorders (addiction to alcohol and other legal and illegal drugs) can impact the likelihood that people will seek help and the quality of the help they receive. Research indicates that stigma—negative attitudes toward people based on distinguishing characteristics—contributes in multiple ways to poorer health outcomes; consequently, it has been identified as a critical focus for research and interventions [1].

Researchers and clinicians can help reduce stigma by carefully choosing the words they use to describe mental health conditions and addictions and the people who are affected by them. Language plays a major role in shaping people’s thoughts and beliefs, and scientific communication can sometimes be an inadvertent vector of harmful stereotypes and assumptions. Utilizing scientifically accurate language and terms that centralize the experience of patients who experience psychiatric conditions and that validate their worth can positively affect how they are treated within healthcare and in society more generally.

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