A new report from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on the mental health impact of parenting is the latest call to action in what is broadly recognized as a national mental health crisis.
From the toll of social media on children’s mental health to the epidemic of opioid addiction, there have never been more reasons to talk about mental health and substance use. By talking about these issues in the right way — and emphasizing that people aren’t solely defined by their behavioral health conditions — we can ensure more people get the help they need.
With billions of dollars in new state investments in capital funding for more treatment settings, a new statewide mobile crisis benefit, a first-of-its kind children’s behavioral health initiative, and many community-led initiatives connecting Californians with a broad spectrum of services, California is well-positioned to lead a new conversation on behavioral health.
But you wouldn’t know that by looking at California’s laws, which reflect outdated assumptions and sometimes even offensive language about people experiencing mental health and substance use conditions.
This “stigma” hides in plain sight and is reinforced by the weight of law, which has held us back from the goal of ensuring everyone who is experiencing behavioral health conditions gets the help they need, even as we’ve made progress as a society toward more acceptance and support. Together, let’s make it official — no one needs to be ashamed of or defined by the experience of a mental health condition or substance use disorders.
September was both National Recovery Month and Suicide Prevention Month, which raised awareness around substance use and recovery as well as suicide prevention. Gov. Gavin Newsom has demonstrated that California leads with dignity by signing two bills that bring the language of our laws up to date. AB 2119 by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber, a Democrat from San Diego County, and AB 2995 by Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson of Riverside County, replace outdated and stigmatizing language with person-first language where appropriate.
For instance, state laws no longer refer to someone as a “drug abuser,” but as a “person with a substance use disorder.” A person is no longer defined as “mentally disabled,” but as someone “with a mental health disability.” For anyone who has personally dealt with seeking mental health or substance use disorder treatment, we know that we are more than a diagnosis, and certainly more than our most challenging moments.
Using the right words for people experiencing substance use disorders or mental health conditions, or both, can bring dignity, compassion, and understanding. Updating the language we use in our laws brings dignity to millions of people — and that’s not an understatement.
The Centers for Disease Control found in 2022 that more than 13 million Americans seriously thought about suicide, 3.8 million made a plan for suicide and 1.6 million attempted suicide. That year, we lost 49,000 Americans who died by suicide. In 2022, it was estimated more than 48 million people in the United States have experienced substance use disorders and are at an increased risk for suicide.
Therefore, the language we use becomes increasingly important so that individuals feel supported and safe to reach out for help.
Words can have other serious impacts on our lives. For example, stigmatizing language can lead to judges and juries prioritizing punishment rather than treatment, which only reinforces stigma around mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
Societal-wide stigma around these topics can also lead to discrimination in obtaining housing, access to health and mental health services, education and employment opportunities, and deter individuals with behavioral health conditions from seeking help, which may result in their condition worsening. The discrimination is compounded for people who are Black, Latinx, and/or Asian, Native American or Pacific Islander, and also experiencing behavioral health conditions.
California has made strides in so many areas surrounding substance use disorders and mental health care. Reframing our state laws with person-first language is another positive step toward ending the stigma around behavioral health conditions and supporting the people experiencing them.
We commend Newsom for signing these two bills during National Recovery Month and Suicide Prevention Month and showing the nation that California is leading the way when it comes to modernizing how we approach substance use disorders and mental illness.
Dr. Ryan Quist is Sacramento County Behavioral Health Director and board president of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California
