{"id":5550,"date":"2025-06-18T15:33:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T15:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/digital\/?p=5550"},"modified":"2025-06-19T08:45:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T08:45:59","slug":"writing-for-wellbeing-why-we-created-a-trauma-and-stress-writing-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/digital\/2025\/06\/18\/writing-for-wellbeing-why-we-created-a-trauma-and-stress-writing-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing for wellbeing: why we created a trauma and stress writing guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guest blog from Sarah Waterfield, Senior Content Designer at Social Security Scotland.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Social Security Scotland, we know that language matters. The words we use in our communications and webpages shape how people experience our service. Many of our clients have faced difficult life events or negative experiences with benefits. If our language is complex or stigmatising, it makes it harder for people to get the support they need.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we created a trauma and stress writing guide.<\/strong><\/a> It gives clear, evidence-backed advice on how to write in a way that supports people, rather than adding to their stress.<\/p>\n

Why we wrote the guide<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve always been committed to clear, accessible communication \u2013 it\u2019s the law<\/strong><\/a>. But we also want our content to reflect our values. We tell people in our Charter<\/strong><\/a> that they can expect a positive and stress-free experience with us. This guide helps us put this commitment into practice.<\/p>\n

User research showed that some of the language we were using was a barrier. For example, some clients were not responding to requests to complete their benefit review. When we looked closer, we found that we were using formal language and words like \u2018prosecute\u2019 to try and communicate why this was so important.<\/p>\n

This was a moment of realisation: although our intentions were good, our language choices could make a stressful process even harder. Was this contributing to a low response rate? We wanted to make sure we were designing content that helps people complete tasks with confidence, not fear.<\/p>\n

How we developed it<\/h2>\n

We started by setting key research questions to guide our work. One of these questions was: how does legal language affect people who\u2019ve experienced trauma or stigma around benefits?<\/p>\n

In our service, sometimes we need to tell people what the law requires them to do. The way we communicate this can make a big difference to how people feel.<\/p>\n

To answer this question, we looked at<\/p>\n