Words build the fear.
UK media — tabloids especially — are the single biggest driver of schizophrenia stigma. Voluntary guidance hasn’t shifted the needle. Here is what the evidence asks of you.
01Anchor on absolute risk, not relative risk
Don’t
Implying people with schizophrenia are inherently dangerous.
Do
State the absolute risk plainly: less than 10% of violent crime is attributable to schizophrenia, and the overall risk to the public is small.
02Always provide context, including substance misuse
Don’t
Reporting a crime alongside a diagnosis with no clinical context.
Do
Note that risk is significantly increased by comorbid substance misuse, and avoid presenting diagnosis as the explanation for an act.
03Drop the “violence-implement-perpetrator” framing
Don’t
Naming weapons, dwelling on graphic detail, or casting the person as “frighteningly other.”
Do
Report the facts soberly. Even where overt slurs are avoided, graphic framing still drives stigma.
04Avoid slurs and loaded language
Don’t
Using words like “schizo,” “psycho,” or “maniac” — in copy or headlines.
Do
Use accurate, person-first language: “a person with schizophrenia,” not “a schizophrenic.”
05Remember renaming is not a fix
Don’t
Assuming “psychosis” is a softer, safer word.
Do
Research shows “psychosis” carries an even more negative tone. Change how you report, not just the vocabulary.
06Include recovery and lived experience
Don’t
Telling only the crisis story.
Do
Feature recovery, capability and lived-experience voices. Contact-based stories are the best-evidenced way to reduce stigma.
07Signpost to help
Don’t
Ending a distressing story with nowhere to turn.
Do
Always include helpline details (e.g. Samaritans 116 123) so readers in distress can find support.
Share these guidelines with a newsroom.
Better reporting is the highest-leverage way to reduce stigma.