The way we talk about mental health, suicide, and alcohol and other drugs can have a powerful impact. Words can support people to feel understood and seek help, or they can reinforce stigma and cause harm.

Language shapes how people with diabetes experience their care, their health, and how they see themselves. This article, from the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes (ACBRD), looks at how diabetes language has evolved, what progress has been made, and what still needs to shift.

For many alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers, stigma is not an abstract concept but a daily obstacle that shapes how they feel about their work, their wellbeing, and their place in the sector. This study, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, analysed survey responses from 190 AOD workers to capture their lived experiences of stigma.

Stigma by association refers to the negative attitudes people hold towards those who use alcohol and other drugs that can also extend to AOD workers. This can lead to lowered productivity and wellbeing, higher burnout, and greater intentions to leave the sector.

In this short film, the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) explores how language can reduce stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs.

Published in Hepatology, this global consensus statement brought together 236 experts and patient advocates from 56 countries to review the terminology used for fatty liver disease. The aim was to reduce stigma and improve clarity in diagnosis.

Published in the Journal of Mental Health (June 2024), this systematic review looked at 41 studies on programs designed to help health professionals address stigma and its impact on patients. Read on to discover the findings.

The Narcofeminism Storyshare model is a powerful way to challenge the internalised narratives created by the drug war. Unlike traditional story-sharing projects, which can sometimes reinforce stigma, this model centres the voices of pregnant and parenting people who use drugs.

This factsheet highlights the impact that stigma can have on people’s willingness to participate in the program and offers strategies to create more supportive, respectful, and inclusive care.

This webinar, hosted by the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL), explores how the stigma faced by people who use drugs can amount to torture and a breach of human rights under international law.

This commentary, published in Nature Medicine on June 5, 2025, calls for a shift in how liver diseases are talked about to reduce stigma and discrimination.

This pilot study, led by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Hepatitis Alliance, tested a new survey tool in nine European countries to explore stigma and discrimination faced by people living with hepatitis B and C.

The paper highlights how stigma, often driven by blame, fear, or negative stereotypes, harms people’s health and opportunities. The group agreed on evidence, recommendations, and a global pledge to put an end to diabetes stigma and discrimination.

Transcend Australia’s Parent Hub offers practical, evidence-based fact sheets like How to Support Your Child When They Tell You They Are Non-Binary—available in multiple languages, including Chinese, Arabic and others.

Wavelength is a 100% free online training platform designed to help medical students and junior doctors provide safe, inclusive care for LGBTQI+ communities.

We all want our efforts to reduce stigma to produce only “good” effects. But this isn’t always the case when the message of campaigns is not interpreted as intended. Campaigns can increase stigma and other unintended harmful outcomes.

This practical guide includes a clear 5-step process on how to create a welcoming experience for communities, which can be easily adapted for other sectors.

Hosted by the Hepatitis C Mentor and Support Group, this recorded webinar explores the real-world impact of hepatitis C stigma—from healthcare settings to daily life.

Reducing stigma is essential to improving the health and wellbeing of people who use, or have used, alcohol and other drugs. The Alcohol and Other Drugs Care Charter is a practical tool designed to help all staff—across any service—deliver care that is safe, accessible, equitable, and non-judgemental.

Developed by the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA) and the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA), Language Matters is a best-practice guide for non-government alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers.