Mental health staff saying “it’s behavioural” about a patient in distress indicates:

a. They do not like the patient

b. They feel it’s acceptable to communicate this

c. They blame the patient

d. They think they can legitimise this by disguising it in pseudo-clinical-language

Mental health staff saying “it’s behavioural” is a warning sign. It may indicate:

a. They are not skilled to respond to this patient

b. They believe it is acceptable to blame patients for their distress

c. The patient’s needs will not be met

d. They are not safe or competent

Mental health staff saying “it’s behavioural” signals the need to:

a. Find someone who can help the patient and protect the patient from the prejudice

b. Review why staff felt it was ok to communicate such prejudice to you

c. Review their skills, competency, and patient safety

Credit to @maddoggie2 for reminding me what underlies “it’s behavioural”