Stigma: A Linguistic Analysis of Personality Disorder in the UK Popular Press, 2008-2017

Abstract

Introduction: Many people with a diagnosis of personality disorder experience stigma, and the press’ representations may contribute to those processes. To date little is known about how the press write about people with personality disorder and analysis of language used is often limited to checklists of words to avoid. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the linguistic characteristics of press articles about personality disorder in popular tabloids in the UK and consider the implications for stigmatisation. Method: Corpus linguistics was used to examine a 50% sample of all articles published by the popular press in the UK, from 2008 to 2017, that referred to personality disorder (n=260). Results: The findings identified a range of words that constructed narratives of violence. Discussion: The method enabled the findings to expand the current level of knowledge in the field, identifying patterns in the use of the language of violence, which may contribute to the processes of self-stigma. Implications for Practice: Greater understanding of the messages in the press can sensitize nurses to common misconceptions about the disorder, how these may have become internalised and the need for psycho-social interventions to address the impact of self-stigma on self-esteem.