Stigma

Section Summary

This section talks about stigma as it relates to mental health and suicide. Learn more about: 

• What is stigma? 
• How can we combat stigma?
• The importance of language

Stigma Defined

The term stigma refers to negative attitudes, beliefs, or opinions that are upheld socially and attached to a particular feature(s) of an individual that is likely deemed as either a social, physical, or mental deficit. Simply put, stigma is when certain groups of people are seen in a negative way because of a particular set of circumstances or characteristics such as socioeconomic status, culture, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, appearance or health status.  As it relates to mental health, stigma is when individuals with mental health conditions are "othered" or viewed in a negative way because of their condition. Examples of this could be when individuals are made fun of, referred to as unstable or called "weak" because of their mental health condition.

For people experiencing mental health conditions, stigma can make things worse. People may hesitate to disclose that they are struggling because of the fear that others may see them as less than or that their mental health condition might be used against them. Stigma may contribute to people either delaying or avoiding taking that first step to get help and, potentially, get in the way of their recovery to feel better. 

Combatting Stigma Through Our Words 

One of the ways in which we can combat stigma is through how we communicate with others. The words we use when we talk about individuals who experience mental health conditions or thoughts of suicide can have a big impact on the likelihood that people will seek support. One of the ways to do this is through language that reflects that the mental health condition or the thoughts of suicide are not the defining characteristic of the person and only one aspect of their current situation. Language norms are continuously shifting and there are differing opinions on preferred terms but we know that using person centered language decreases stigma and the potential for individuals to feel othered. The below graphic from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing offers examples of person first language.

The Importance of Language

In the context of suicide prevention and just like talking about mental health conditions, it is important to use language that breaks down the stigma and encourages people to get support when they need it. We should approach these conversations by remaining aware of the language we use and the impact it may have on others.

For example, using the term “committed suicide” implies that suicide shares associations with illegality, immortality, and criminality. As a result, the use of this particular term has the potential to create feelings of rejection, blame, and guilt, making the stigma feel even bigger by those who have lost someone they cared about to suicide and further hindering the likelihood of those experiencing suicidal ideations from getting help. If you are someone who has used that term, you are not alone! 

Communicating about this topic in a respectful way is an integral part of challenging stigmas related to suicide. For instance, instead of using terms such as “committed” or “killed oneself”, shifting our word choices to phrases such as the person has “died by suicide” or they “lost their life to suicide” is crucial in ensuring that we are not communicating blame and are being compassionate. 

If you are struggling with adapting your language, first of all, have patience and grace for yourself. These are hard changes to make if you've been using certain language all your life! Here's a tip that we found helpful - think about how we communicate about someone who has died from cancer. We would never say that they "committed cancer" but instead we would say they died from or died of cancer. Another resource to help you with language is here.