A systematic review of the terms used to refer to people who use mental health services: User perspectives

Objective: The terms used to refer to people who receive mental healthcare have been described as either potentially stigmatizing or empowering. This paper systematically reviews empirical studies of terminological usage in order to ascertain current knowledge. Methods: Multiple databases were searched using the terms ‘patient’, ‘client’, ‘service user’ and ‘consumer’. Empirical, English language studies were included where an aim was to measure...