Using Destigmatizing Language in Research

Language can be very stigmatizing when talking about those who suffer from Substance Use Disorder. The CPDD Education Committee has compiled multiple resources to help find the right destigmatizing language.

Broad Based Language

• American Hospital Association: People Matter, Words Matter
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• Office of Disability Rights: People First Language
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• Johns Hopkins University: Health Equity Style Guide for the COVID-19 Response - Principles and Preferred Terms of Non-Stigmatizing, Bias-Free Language
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• American Medical Association: Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts Glossary
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• NIH Race and National Origin Style Guide: How to Talk/Write about Race and Ethnicity
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Substance Use Specific Language

• Drug and Alcohol Dependence: The use of person-centered language in scientific research articles focusing on alcohol use disorder
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• NIDAMED: Words Matter - Terms to Use and Avoid When Talking About Addiction
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• American Hospital Association: Are you using compassionate SUD Language?
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• Interior Health: Language Matters Infographic
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• Sober Nation: What We're Doing About the Language of Addiction
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• Oxford Academic: Language to Use When Talking or Writing about People Who Smoke Cigarettes
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• Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal: Substance use, recovery and linguistics: The impact of word choice on explicit and implicit bias
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Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal and Drug and Alcohol Reports Commitment to Destigmatizing Language

Drug and Alcohol Dependence is committed to eliminating stigmatizing language by adopting "person forward" language when publishing reports of addiction science findings. Building on the work of Hartwell et al*, each paper is checked against a list of stigmatizing terms. While citations and participant quotes may be left as created, all components of manuscripts (including highlights section, title, abstract, table/figure legends, etc.,) will be checked, with production querying authors at all instances of stigmatizing language, giving the option of swapping for person forward usage, based on each context. VIEW ON PUBMED >

*Hartwell, M., Naberhaus, B., Arnhart, C., Ottwell, R., Dunn, K, Rogers, T.C., Vassar, M., & Beaman, J. (2020). The Use of Person-Centered Language in Scientific Research Articles Focusing on Alcohol Use Disorder. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. PMID: 32801060