Halloween can sometimes be a sad reminder that, despite changes in public attitudes, stigma and discrimination are still alive and kicking, as we see products and events based on the myth that people with mental health problems are ‘scary’. We all enjoy a joke, but when they come at the expense of those of us with mental health problems, they can do very real harm.  

This Halloween we’re encouraging people to help make the point that having a mental health problem doesn’t make us scary, and that using outdated stereotypes to sell products or attract visitors is unacceptable.  

Here’s what our Director, Sue Baker has to say:  

"Halloween is a great opportunity to enjoy some scary fun. But we’re often made aware of Halloween attractions based around ‘mental patients’ or ‘asylums’, fuelling the deep rooted misconceptions that still surround mental illness. "Imagine how you'd feel if you, or a member of your family, had just been in a psychiatric hospital and were enjoying a fun day out, only to be faced with this type of 'entertainment'? Or were out shopping and came across a product or costume making light-hearted fun of an illness which you have been struggling with?     

"We are finally starting to see attitudes change and there is a shift in the public mood. What these instances highlight is that there is still work to be done in tackling mental health stigma and discrimination and we'd encourage people to challenge these outdated stereotypes that only serve to reinforce negative views of those who experience mental health problems by complaining directly to the companies concerned to share their views.”

Here are some things we’d encourage companies to think about when considering references to mental health in their products or marketing:

• One in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any year. That’s one in four of your customers or visitors that you could potentially be alienating and offending – not to mention many of your own staff. 
• Products and events which make light of mental health problems can cause very real harm by sending the message that these conditions are trivial and even humorous – making it harder for people affected by these issues to speak out about and seek help for them. 
• Mental health problems are no joke. They can be severely life-limiting and even life-threatening. Consider whether you would make a similar joke or light-hearted reference to a physical illness.
• Even if it’s meant in jest, stereotypes about people with mental health problems, such as references to ‘asylums’ or people being violent and dangerous, are extremely harmful, and repeating them only fuels stigma and discrimination.  

People power

Recently we’ve seen several cases where companies have withdrawn offensive and insensitive products and apologised, after individuals raised their concerns.  

Lots of you will remember September 2013, when thousands of people took to Twitter to complain about supermarkets selling ‘mental patient’ Halloween costumes – this hit the national headlines, and the costumes were quickly withdrawn.

This just shows what we can achieve when we speak up and let companies know the impact these kind of ‘jokes’ can have on those of us who are affected by mental health problems - particularly using social media. In this way, individuals can play a big role in making stigma and discrimination a thing of the past.  

Read Shea’s blog about how the ‘mental patient’ Halloween costumes affected her.

If you see something offensive this Halloween

Time to Change can’t always get involved in every case of stigma and discrimination – but individuals speaking out can often make the biggest difference. Here’s what you can do if you see something stigmatising or offensive this Halloween:  

• Let the company in question know. Hearing from current or potential customers about how they are personally affected can be really powerful, and we would encourage you to contact companies directly with your concerns. 
• Insensitive or offensive media coverage. While media reporting of mental health is getting better we know that sometimes, offensive and upsetting articles are still being published. If you see something that you think is inappropriate we have some advice on how to complain.
• Share the Time to Change website. You can direct people to this page and encourage them to learn more about the issue through our website. 
• Share it on Twitter using the #imnotscary so that others can add their voice too.