Words influence stigma of mental health

BOSTON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- How a person struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction is described may significantly alter attitudes of healthcare professionals, U.S. researchers say.

Study leader John F. Kelly of Massachusetts General Hospital found health professionals' answers to survey questions about a hypothetical patient varied depending on whether he was described as a "substance abuser" or as "having a substance use disorder."

"We found that referring to someone with the 'abuser' terminology evokes more punitive attitudes than does describing that person's situation in exactly the same words except for using 'disorder' terminology," Kelly says in a statement. "Reducing the use of such stigmatizing terms could help diminish the shame, guilt and embarrassment that act as barriers, keeping people from seeking help."

Only 10 percent of those who misuse alcohol and other drugs seek treatment. The stigma against addiction problems is often cited as a major reason for not seeking treatment.

The investigators randomly distributed surveys to more than 700 mental health professionals attending two conferences last year focused on mental health and addiction. Participants who received the paragraph describing someone as a "substance abuser" were significantly more likely to agree that he should be punished for not following his required treatment plan.

"Our results imply that these punitive attitudes may be evoked by use of the 'abuser' term, whether individuals are conscious of it or not," Kelly says.

The study is scheduled to be published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.