The U.S. Department of Health makes many brochures they believe will help people in some way or another. I have chosen to use one of these pamphlets as an example of the use of plain style in prose writing. Depression is a serious mental disease that requires treatment in order to make the patient feel more confident and less likely to cause pain to themselves or others. However serious the issue might be, I’ve noted some examples of plain style in a brochure for depression that might lead to the wrong idea.
Many people who likely to read a
brochure of depression or another mental illness are most likely seeing them
first in a doctor’s office. This is the beginning where something could go
wrong. For instance, what if the front of the brochure merely says “feeling sad
or alone?” – of course they are, everyone does at some point, especially if
they are at the doctor’s office and by themselves, feeling self-conscious. The actual
website I found this brochure on is the National Institute of Health via the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. When explaining what they do for
people, on their website they state that “[t]he NIH invests nearly $37.3
billion annually in medical research for the American people,” which shows that
they really just want to help people and advance medical research. Because of
this statement, the NIH endorses all of the information they provide. They are
providing the information to help people understand various mental illnesses
and help people find support and advice. Other companies that write brochures
like this for doctor’s offices are doing the same thing. In fact, I don’t think
anybody would write brochure on a mental illness if they didn’t want to help
people.
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| Readability Scores |
One
of the best ways to get a point across in an understandable and effective way
is with the use of bullet points. While the use of bullet points in
brochures and pamphlets is common, can using too much of the plain style like
these short sentences and active voice strategies have a negative affect rather
than a positive?
Although the use of plain language, of
course allows people
to understand and
relate to ideas or the symptoms of a mental illness,
it may be misleading by the use of vague of language.
This may happen
in which people falsely diagnose themselves, or others,
with mental
illnesses. For example, someone might just be having a
bad day or they might be falsely interpreting another’s mood.
Identifying Plain Style in the Text
- They make a point to identify the people who make wrong assumptions with the first line. The writers are speaking to the reader by addressing us “you” – “When you have depression…”This makes the reader, someone who may or may not have depression, identify with someone who has depression.
- The signs are usually the most “plain” language of the entire text
- · By using bullet points, it is easier for the eyes to process and allows for quick skimming.
- “Why yes, I do feel sad and tired sometimes. Oh, I also get nervous and forgetful sometimes.I should check on this.”
- Seeing how someone could read this with average problems shows how people can easily misinterpret the plain style in brochures. When thinking of questions about this theory, obviously people will wonder how someone could even say this – “obviously the people need help. Mental illness isn’t something to joke about” – but I understand all of this. I know that it isn’t okay to question someone and if they actually have a problem or if they just think they fit the description of a vaguely worded diagnosis. Obviously it might be different for other brochure topics – diabetes or severe stuttering would not be as vague as something like depression or anxiety. But hopefully this little critique will possibly show that people are easily frightened and will jump to conclusions if the information is in too plain of a style – in a way that makes it a little too relatable.Rebekah S.
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