Writing Sensitive Health Content: A Guide to Tone, Clarity, and Compassion
Writing sensitive health content has its challenges. Creating content that educates without pushing readers away is difficult.
It’s even harder when you consider the stakes of writing about mental health.
Done poorly, writing about mental health can cause real harm. But done well? You have the chance to change lives for the better.
Here’s how to find the perfect balance between tone, clarity and compassion when writing about outpatient bipolar treatment.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Tone Is More Important Than You Think
- The 4 Principles Of Writing About Mental Health
- Writing About Outpatient Bipolar Treatment Accurately
- Don’t Make These Mistakes When Writing About Mental Health
Why Tone Is More Important Than You Think
Imagine a reader is searching online for mental health treatment. They’re scared. They may be confused. They know they need help, but they don’t know where to start.
When they click on your content… if it doesn’t feel right. If it’s stuffed with medical jargon they don’t understand… they’re going to leave. Fast.
Not every person who visits your website will find the help they need. That’s why you need to write like life depends on it. Because they do.
Mental illnesses affect nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults every year.
Depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD and bipolar disorder affect millions of Americans. Many of them are actively searching for programs for bipolar disorder treatment in New Jersey and other outpatient options that can help.
You have to meet them where they’re at.
If you write content that’s patronizing, technically inaccurate or callous… those readers aren’t going to stick around.
Not only will they leave your website, but they might decide not to seek help at all. Or they’ll find a mental health provider who balances their brand tone with compassionate content.
Don’t be that provider.
The 4 Principles Of Writing About Mental Health
Writing sensitive mental health content can be tricky. Everyone is looking for their information to sound like the doctor’s office they love.
Here’s how to strike that balance.
1. Lead With Empathy
Empathy should be the foundation for every piece of health content you create.
Who’s reading this content? Are they looking for outpatient bipolar treatment for themselves? Their spouse? Their child?
Empathy isn’t just feeling compassionate.
It means understanding your reader’s situation and leading with that understanding. It means using language that will speak to your readers’ experiences.
2. Keep it Plain & Simple
The hardest thing about medical content is knowing how to simplify complex information. You don’t want to dumb it down, yet you don’t want it to be inaccessible.
Here’s how to strike that balance:
- Use short sentences whenever possible.
- Replace medical jargon with layman’s terms.
- If you have to use medical terminology, define it.
Also, keep an eye on your readability scores. You should aim for content that can be read comfortably by someone who has a high school diploma.
If they have to look up terms you use in your first paragraph… start over.
3. Be Honest & Encouraging
This balance is tricky, but it’s absolutely necessary when writing about mental health.
Obscure the facts to make your reader comfortable and you’ve lost your value as a resource. But push too many harsh truths and your reader will bounce.
Nearly 4% of Americans live with bipolar disorder. This is a big number, but your reader isn’t looking at statistics.
They need to know you understand.
Encourage them that treatment is possible and recovery is attainable without making them feel like their situation is hopeless or rare.
Writing About Outpatient Bipolar Treatment Accurately
Applying those three principles to content about outpatient bipolar treatment means paying attention to a few key factors.
Explain What Outpatient Treatment Actually Is
There are many forms of outpatient bipolar treatment. Your reader likely doesn’t know all the options, what they entail or which one is right for them.
By explaining these programs, you can guide your reader toward next steps without making the decision for them.
Differentiate between intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalisation and traditional weekly therapy. Describe what these options look like in real life and your reader will feel comfortable moving forward.
Use Person First Language
As with all mental health topics, wording is everything.
Terms like “bipolar children” and “kids with bipolar disorder” can be damaging. Child psychologist Sara Lenderino, PsyD shares advice on her advice website.
“You want to focus on children WITH bipolar disorder, rather than bipolar children.”
This logic applies to anyone, of any age living with bipolar disorder.
Content that uses people-first language will resonate with your readers and show them you understand.
Meet Them Where They’re At
It’s easy to get caught up in clinical explanations of bipolar disorder and treatment.
But readers want to know what this feels like. What does someone with bipolar disorder look like? How does treatment work with a full time job?
Providing answers to these questions will help readers relate to your content.
It’ll also show that you understand their struggles because you’ve explained them on your blog.
Don’t Make These Mistakes When Writing About Mental Health
Even if you keep empathy, clarity and encouragement in mind when creating content about outpatient bipolar treatment, you can still run into problems.
Here are a few practices to avoid when writing about mental health.
- Trying to sound too medically accurate. You’re not writing for healthcare professionals. You’re writing for real people who need help.
- Writing without considering emotion. Bipolar disorder is treatable, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact every aspect of your life. Content that fails to recognize this will fall flat.
- Promising cures. There is no magic cure for bipolar disorder. Content that provides this illusion is doing a disservice to your readers.
- Forget patients have families. Often when someone is seeking outpatient treatment, a loved one is alongside them researching as well. Create content for families too.
Content marketing isn’t easy, but when you’re writing about mental health you have the chance to help.
Writing about sensitive health topics requires extra intention than other forms of content.
But when you get it right, you won’t just create a better brand. You’ll create a brand that truly makes a difference in someone’s life.
Pulling Everything Together
Writing content about outpatient bipolar treatment is difficult, but far from impossible.
As long as you lead with empathy, speak plainly and encourage your readers you’re off to a great start.
Learning how to write sensitive health content boils down to three things:
- Educate your readers. Help them understand bipolar disorder and their treatment options without overwhelming them with information.
- Support your readers. Provide encouragement and support, but don’t talk down to your readers. Remember everyone experiences bipolar disorder differently.
- Guide your readers. Give your readers a path forward with clear calls to action and concrete next steps.
Do these three things and you’ll have readers trusting you with their most valuable asset. Their health.