A Phrase To Renounce For 2014: ‘The Mentally Ill’

[kangofu]

A Phrase To Renounce For 2014: ‘The Mentally Ill’
Source - WBUR - Common Health (Boston's NPR)
By: Carey Goldberg
January 3, 2014 | 1:57 PMI wince every time I read it. So does the president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Paul Summergrad, he says

Comments

[ceruleanst]

We seem to understand that physical health includes such concerns as high blood pressure, post-nasal drip, dehydration, strained muscles, and skin rashes. We understand that all such conditions deserve treatment even if they are self-diagnosed and even if they aren't going to be part of a person for the rest of that person's life. People don't perceive the corresponding range of mental health. It exists but we barely even have words for it. If "mental illness" were an honest expression, by way of analogy to physical illness, it would include the ones that go away after five days with plenty of rest and some tea. It doesn't. Instead, "ill" stands for "disabled". Imagine if you had to qualify for handicap plates before it was even possible to speak of concern for your health. Much of the population would in time end up meeting that qualification just from suffering enough neglect, and that may be what's happening with mental health.

[lurkerwisp]

This makes a lot of sense. Thank you for posting. :)

[gambitia]

Yeah, I also don't mind being referred to as "mentally ill" or "depressive" or "anxious" (though that one sounds weird because anxious doesn't have such strong connections to mental illness). "The mentally ill" is bad, but I don't mind "mentally ill" to refer to the group

[roseofjuly]

People first language (at least under the auspices of the American Psychological Association's style guide) is simply language that reminds people that those in the description are people, not defined exclusively or primarily by their illness or condition. Like "people of color." For people with illnesses, we often use constructions like "people with schizophrenia" instead of "schizophrenics." If we're talking more generally about people with mental illnesses, that's what we say. We do the same thing with physical diseases though - people with heart disease, people with HIV, people with cancer. (It's out of compliance with APA style to say "cancer patients," unless you are actually referring to patients in a hospital, or "the HIV-positive," for example

[gambitia]

I understand why it's used. I just don't think it's particularly effective.

Perhaps it's because I'm used to seeing people attempt the more contrived "those who suffer from mental illness/mental disability/disability", which I find eyeroll-y.

[matryoshka]

This reminds me of when I wrote a personal essay for my high school writing class about my Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I only used the phrase "mental illness" once in reference to my disorder and my teacher told me to change it because the term was "too strong" (I guess I wasn't mentally ill enough for her). And then the school guidance counselor read my paper and gave me the whole, "you're exaggerating, your problems aren't as bad as you think they are" speech.

Of course, referring to "the mentally ill" as one monolithic group of people is problematic, but using the term mental illness to describe a legitimate disorder isn't really the key issue that we should be worrying about. Imo, what we should be focusing on is demystifying mental illness through education and enhancing the public discourse regarding common problems like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc.

[ebay313]

I was with this one the not using "the mentally ill". "The" is problematic.

But not with it when it comes to not using mental health or mental illness. And I do not think "psychiatric" is a good term to replace mental health or mental illness. As someone else commented, mental health and mental illness, while we do not typically use them this way, are just as wide ranging as physical health and physical illness. Psychiatric doe not encompass this reality. Similarly, "psychiatric" suggest treatment is needed through a psychiatrist. Mental health care is not limited to psychiatrists and psychiatric care.