What’s in a Name?

Abstract

The term 'personality disorder' (PD) is hazardous for clients and the people that care for them, says mental health nurse Mark Kelly writing in Mental Health Practice. Kelly argues that healthcare staff have a duty to look after clients in a non-judgemental manner and using the term PD implies that clients with the diagnosis do not have a true mental illness. The author calls for a change in attitudes and offers three alternatives to replace the term to avoid the connotations.