Reporters Get New Guidance On Disability Lingo

In a first, the “journalist’s bible” will include guidance for reporters on how to write about mental illness and conditions like autism.

Officials behind the influential Associated Press Stylebook say they’ve added a new entry for “mental illness.”

The addition to the guide — which is relied upon by reporters at news outlets nationwide — advises journalists not to mention a diagnosis of autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other mental disorders unless it is germane to the story and properly sourced.

What’s more, when mentioning a person’s mental illness in a news story, the AP Stylebook urges reporters to be as specific as possible about their diagnosis and include examples of symptoms. Journalists are advised to “avoid descriptions that connote pity,” stay away from terms like insane, crazy, nuts or deranged and told not to assume that mental illness is associated with violent crime.

“It is the right time to address how journalists handle questions of mental illness in coverage,” said Kathleen Carroll, executive editor and senior vice president at the AP. “When is such information relevant to a story? Who is an authoritative source for a person’s illness, diagnosis and treatment? These are very delicate issues and this Stylebook entry is intended to help journalists work through them thoughtfully, accurately and fairly.”

Read more of Michelle Diament's Disability Scoop article HERE.

Words Can Wound: How The Media Describe The Mentally Ill And Disabled

This story was written by advanced reporting students at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, in conjunction with KHN.

NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg threw herself into the center of a word usage debate in February when she asked the lawyer for a man who had lied about receiving a Congressional Medal of Honor, "So, is your client a nut case?"

A paraphrase of the question about Xavier Alvarez also appeared in a text write-up of the story Feb. 22 on NPR's website.

In online comments about that story, listeners criticized Totenberg for insensitivity. “I almost dropped my teeth" at the question, wrote commenter Amy Gasper on the day the story was published. "Was she asking if Alvarez had a history of mental illness? Was she asking his attorney to diagnose a mental illness?

‘Nutcase’ is a pejorative term that I would expect to hear in the rhetoric exchanged by the anchors on Fox, not by a respected journalist.”

In a follow-up blog post by NPR ombudsman Edward Schumacher-Matos, Totenberg was quoted as saying it was not her intent to offend those with mental illness when she asked that question of public defender Jonathan Libby.

And in an email forwarded by her intern, Totenberg later explained: “I used nutcase not in text and not to refer to an insane person. In a question to Mr. Alvarez’[s] lawyer, I used the term to indicate a total flake," who does not have a "close relationship with truth telling.”

So why was there such a strong reaction to the national radio reporter's word choice? And should the media in general be more careful about the language used to describe mental illness and disability?

Read more of Kirsty Groff and May Wildman's  Kaiser Health News article HERE.

New Genetics Work Challenges Basic Ideas about Mental Illness

By Jamie Horder from Scientific American

What if schizophrenia or autism are just symptoms of a deeper disorder? A scientist explains the early, exciting findings from copy number variation (CNV) studies.

The search for the genetic roots of psychiatric illnesses and behavioral disorders such as schizophrenia, autism and ADHD has a long history, but until recently, it was one marked by frustration and skepticism. In the past few years, new techniques have begun to reveal strong evidence for the role of specific genes in some cases of these conditions but in a way few people expected.

To understand what makes the new discoveries so novel, it’s necessary to appreciate how our genes can go wrong. The human genetic code can be thought of as an encyclopedia in multiple volumes. Our normal genome contains 46 chromosomes, so that’s 46 volumes. Each chromosome is a long string of the chemical DNA and the information is “written” in the form of a molecular alphabet with just four letters: A, T, C and G.

Read complete article HERE.

Support for Screening

From TeenScreen - National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University

With research continuing to show the importance of early identification of mental illness, momentum for mental health screening is accelerating. Federal agencies and health policy, mental health organizations, physician and medical organizations, education and advocacy groups support mental health screening for youth. A growing number of state agencies have also made screening a priority, spearheading strategies with community advocates to incorporate screening into teen suicide prevention programs.

Read complete article HERE.

Don't Let Your Marriage Be a Casualty of Your Child's Mental Illness

A child with life-threatening illness can galvanize a family, even a whole community, to pull together to help her get the best care possible. But when children have psychiatric disorders, the effect is often, sadly, different.

Children with mental illnesses can put great strain on their parents, especially when their disorders manifest in impulsivity, defiance, exhausting rituals or all of the above. Tantrums, meltdowns or aggression towards playmates can alienate other families, making you feel isolated. A disruptive child can seem to use up all the oxygen in the home, leaving you with little time or energy for each other. Sometimes parents disagree about the diagnosis, or the kind of treatment a child needs. Sometimes one parent is obsessed with helping the child, and the other feels left out. The result is marital discord, which all too often leads to divorce.

Read Dr.Harold Koplewicz' Huffington Post article HERE.

Bazelon Center Statement on Arizona Shooting by Robert Bernstein, PhD, Executive Director

January 10, 2011 - Our hearts go out to Representative Giffords, her staff, and the residents of Tuscon who were victims of the tragic shooting this past Saturday.

And while the details of the shooting and the history of the suspect are still to be determined, early information suggests that investigators may discover evidence of untreated mental illness.

It would be a mistake to conclude that incidents such as this are characteristic of people who have mental illness. In fact, these events are very rare. Studies show that having a mental illness, in itself, does not increase one's propensity to commit serious violence; other factors come into play, including co-occurring substance abuse, trauma and, perhaps in this instance, today’s vitriolic political climate.
Read more HERE.

Narcissism No Longer a Psychiatric Disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and the need for constant attention, has been eliminated from the upcoming manual of mental disorders, which psychiatrists use to diagnose mental illness.

Read Tara Parker-Pope's New York Times article HERE.

Judge Approves Historic Agreement to Better Serve Individuals With Mental Illness in Illinois

Thousands of persons with mental illnesses in Illinois took a significant, critical step toward independence and dignity after a federal judge today gave final approval to an historic agreement worked out by the State of Illinois and a coalition of legal services organizations. The agreement in Williams v. Quinn gained final approval from U.S. District Court Judge William Hart following a fairness hearing on September 7, 2010 that drew hundreds of interested class members and relatives to a Chicago courtroom. Once implemented, the agreement paves the way for individuals with mental illnesses to move out of Illinois' outmoded, segregated nursing home system and receive the services they need in the community. (See PR Newswire article HERE.)