Saying “a person with mental illness” instead of “the mentally ill” does make a difference, according to a study, the first of its kind. Darcy Haag Granello and Todd Gibbs tested the terms with more than 600 participants: college students, counselors in training and the general public. All respondents were less tolerant of those referred to as “the mentally ill.” Such people were considered a threat to society or an inferior class that should be isolated from the community.

Research by Darcy Haag Granello, Professor
and Todd Gibbs, Doctoral Student
Counselor Education