Plain Style Writing and How it Advocates for Mental Health

By Garrett O. 

         So, what is “plain style” writing, and what impact does it play on mental health resources? Plain style writing uses active voice (instead of passive), simple sentence structures, little jargon, and tends to have a low reading difficulty. By using plain style writing in mental health resources, a wider audience is able to understand and implement good mental health practices. New knowledge can do no good if it doesn’t reach its intended audience.

The article that I will be discussing is titled “Your Child’s Mental Health” from the Canadian Pediatric Society, which is made up of more than 3,000 licensed pediatricians. More specifically, it is published on CaringforKids.cps.ca, which is a resource designed to inform parents on a wide range of potential health problems in children. The way the information is presented and delivered is very straightforward. Unlike many online health resources, Caring for Kids tries to make complicated information accessible to a wide range of people—specifically parents and caregivers of children. The only tradeoff is that the article doesn’t dive too deep into mental disorders; it is mainly focused on covering all bases. A sentence from their mission statement reads: “The information on Caring for Kids should not be used as a substitute for medical care and advice” (Caring for Kids, 2017). If a parent is seeking information on a particular diagnosis that was already given, they would have to find a different article that is better tailored to their needs.

            Unlike a peer-reviewed research article, “Your Child’s Mental Health” is not designed as a professional resource. Not everyone is a doctor, and not every problem warrants a trip to the hospital. The website specifically states that parents are the intended audience of the information provided. Parents seeking the article might be concerned about their child’s mental health, or simply just curious about how they can help their child through life’s unpredictability. With an intended audience this large, accessibility is extremely important.

One aspect of the article’s accessibility is the use of list format. For example, the main points are listed in colored text, which are then followed by bold sub-points, eventually leading to bullet-pointed lists. Because of this, a reader can quickly scroll through information that isn’t useful to them. The word-choice is also very reader-friendly. The authors use dashes and parenthesis to define content that might be unfamiliar to the reader. One example reads: “This person—often a parent or other family member—is someone your child spends a lot of time with and knows they can turn to when they need help.” Even though the definition of “this person” was defined in a previous sentence, the author wants to make sure that the audience isn’t confused on the content.

Another important accessibility strategy used is the question format of the headings. After giving brief reassurance of the affect good parenting can have on a child, a bold heading asks, “How can I nurture my child’s mental health?” This pattern is continued throughout the article, with the last headline asking, “Where do I go for help?” After each question is asked, the article proceeds to provide clearly written bullet-pointed answers. This ensures that parents are learning the process of helping their child in a linear fashion. Each new question that they formulate while reading is swiftly answered in the following section.

After a parent has finished reading the article, they might want to dive deeper into similar resources. They could also be asking, “Where do I go from here?” The Canadian Pediatric Society provides resources following the article with this in mind. They have direct links to videos that explain the information more in-depth, and other articles explaining how to spark conversation with your child regarding their mental health. In addition to this, they have a handful of links to connect parents directly with psychologists for specific diagnoses and treatment.

We have now established how the content is able to be so accessible. But why is this important? As you have probably heard before, there is a serious mental health crisis affecting every corner of the world. According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of mental health conditions has risen over 13% in the last ten years. Suicide is also second on the list of causes of death in 15–29-year-olds (WHO, 2022). Even if an individual is able to manage suicidal ideations, chronic physical health problems stem from poor mental health. Mental health struggles don’t discriminate. That is why it is vital for the information in this article to be easily accessible to a large audience. Active listening and acceptance are emphasized repeatedly, which could be all a child needs to know that they are safe and understood. “Your Child’s Mental Health” gives a parent necessary tools to help their child while encouraging a doctor’s visit for more complex problems that a family might not be equipped to deal with alone. If it was written in a wordier format, parents might misinterpret this information or fail to understand it altogether.

It is far too easy to get lost in medical terminology and coded language. Leading with compassion is essential in a child’s development. Very often a child is just as fearful as their parents that something might be wrong. Reminding them that they have an advocate during difficult times can make a world of difference, even if a parent can’t take all their pain away. When considering how important good mental health practices are, it is without question that plain language resources like “Your Child’s Mental Health” should be widely accessible to people everywhere. Just as official style and coded language have their own place in textbooks and doctor’s offices, plain style should have just as much space in the hands of the every-day family.