Saying ‘person with schizophrenia,’ not ‘schizophrenic,’ can affect clinician beliefs, study finds
Mental health counselors had kinder and less authoritative reactions to statements that used the phrase “person with schizophrenia” instead of “schizophrenic,” a new study finds — an important confirmation of the benefits of person-first language.
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of Counseling & Development, adds to a broader social conversation but sparse scientific literature supporting person-first language, which is meant to de-stigmatize disabilities, mental health conditions, and other conditions. Patient advocates have pushed for people with diabetes or people with alcoholism to be described as such, for example, and for terms like “diabetic” and “alcoholic” to be avoided.
