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Ruby Wax is reported to be ¡°seeking to end the stigma surrounding mental health¡± (HE & me, 30 July). In a similar but more extreme linguistic vein, I have recently heard lay commentators express concern about those ¡°suffering from mental health¡±.

Circumlocutory, euphemistic language is the order of the day as the profession deserts the medical model concept of mental ¡°illness¡± and searches for non-stigmatising and non-judgemental terms. However, as a result, we are in danger of tying ourselves up in ludicrous linguistic knots like the above.

And perhaps any new lexicon also needs to question the use of the word ¡°mental¡±, for this is also certainly a pejorative and stigmatising word when used in the vernacular.

Yanina Sheeran
Shipley, West Yorkshire