Blog: Compassion starts with putting the person in front of the diagnosis
![May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Man comforted during behavioral health counseling therapy.](/sites/default/files/styles/900x400/public/2018-06/man-comforted-behavioral-health-counseling-therapy.jpg?itok=vRF9EpVl)
One way to demonstrate respect and not stigmatize when discussing people with mental health diagnoses is to use person-first language, writes Kelly Ryan, director of social services and doctoral training at Linden Oaks at Edward Hospital and Health Services in Illinois, and Gina Sharp, president and CEO of Linden Oaks Behavioral Health.
Read more about how altering words can lead to acting in compassionate ways, also the topic of the first in a series of AHA People Matter, Words Matter posters.
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