Halloween’s Impact on Mental Health Stigma
By Serena Shim
Halloweekend has always been one of my favorite holidays since I have such a sweet tooth. Halloweekend is a chance to dress up in different costumes, catch up with friends, and eat as much candy as we want. While it is a fun holiday, this is also the time of year when we see costumes and decorations that portray mental illness as dangerous and frightening. Just the other day, I was out on a drive around my neighborhood when I saw a Halloween decoration featuring a mummy hanging from a tree. Surely the homeowner did not think of the negative implication about racially-motivated lynching or mental health that were being conveyed, but the lack of thought is even more reason for concern. This is one example of how negative portrayals of mental health have been so widely accepted, and there is no acknowledgment for how much damage they can do.
Halloween itself is vulnerable to stereotyped portrayals of many people, careers, and cultures. Unfortunately, Halloween attractions and amusement parks depict scenes that also stereotype mental illness. Haunted houses are sometimes represented as “haunted asylums,” with zombie-like, mentally ill patients scaring visitors. Many of these asylum-based Halloween attractions across the country convey the message that people with mental illness are to be feared. There are also many real-life asylums and institutions that have been turned into Halloween attractions, disrespecting and trivializing the suffering of those who were in the institution previously.
Why is this important? Isn’t it just a little bit of spooky fun? The dramatization of mental health facilities in these Halloween attractions discourage people from seeking help. These representations are upsetting to those who have been affected by mental illness, and even perpetuate misconceptions about mental health which significantly contribute to the stigma. Instead of aimlessly putting up decorations or choosing costumes that misrepresent mental illness, think carefully about whether your costume or decorations will add to the misconceptions about mental illness. Choose to put up decorations that are appropriate to scary themes, like ghosts and spider webs. Educate others and become more aware. Giving a brief explanation of why these representations are inappropriate can have an important and lasting impact. The conversation extends beyond our neighborhoods—educating and influencing corporations can also have a great impact. The next time you go to a haunted house, think about whether the attraction depicts mental illness in a frightening way. Research to see if there is anything that can be done to remove discriminatory displays/costumes so that we can eliminate harmful stereotypes. This can all help lift the stigma about mental illness, which has long contributed to social and employment discrimination as well.
