Mind your language!

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore what is meant by the term recovery language and the use of mental health language in today’s society.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is an exploration of the use of recovery language and the application in modern day mental health services.

Findings

The language that is used to describe mental health is often based on a traditional medical model primarily focussing on diagnosis, symptoms and problems. This is a stark difference to the modern day use of recovery orientated language.

Practical implications

This paper can be used as a discussion topic in teams to explore themes around recovery language.

Originality/value

This paper explores issues of language in mental health that are central to recovery and the development of recovery-focussed services.

Citation

Gilfoyle, S.A. (2017), "Mind your language!", Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 47-52. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-09-2016-0026