David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Words Associated with Mental Health
by Robert T. Muller, YorkU.ca Trauma BlogFebruary 9, 2021
Study showcases how teens view and explain mental health. The words used relates heavily to stigma associated with mental health. Nearly half the words listed in this study were “popular derogatory terms” and slightly less were words describing a “negative emotional state”. The fact that these descriptions are so popular showcases how prevalent stigma around mental health is, and it starts at a young age. Important to educate and empower those without a voice by debunking these terms, and making mental health more acceptable.
Table 1
Most frequently occurring words and termsTerm | Frequency | Term | Frequency |
Disturbed | 11 | Scary | 5 |
Nuts | 11 | Div | 4 |
Confused | 10 | Dumb | 4 |
Psycho | 10 | Ill | 4 |
Spastic | 10 | Loneliness | 4 |
Crazy | 9 | Loony bin | 4 |
Depression | 7 | Psychiatric | 4 |
Disabled | 7 | Screw loose | 4 |
Mad | 7 | Stress | 4 |
Unpredictable | 7 | Violence | 4 |
Insane | 6 | Brain dead | 3 |
Loony | 6 | Demanding | 3 |
Mental | 6 | Demented | 3 |
Schizophrenia | 6 | Dinlo | 3 |
Thicko | 6 | Distressed | 3 |
Weird | 6 | Embarrassed | 3 |
Depressed | 5 | Flid | 3 |
Different | 5 | Frustrated | 3 |
Freak | 5 | Isolated | 3 |
Odd | 5 | Sad | 3 |
Problem | 5 | Strait jacket | 3 |
Retard | 5 | Wheel chairs | 3 |
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