Halloween and Mental Illness Stigma: Choosing Costumes That Don’t Haunt Others

Halloween is just around the corner. Traditionally, it’s a time for creativity, connection, and play. Costumes, decorations, and haunted houses help us step into worlds of imagination and celebrate the strange and spooky. 

But before we dive into the festivities, it’s worth pausing to ask an important question: 

What story is your costume telling to others? 

While Halloween is meant to be fun, some traditions and costumes can unintentionally reinforce harmful stereotypes – particularly about people living with mental illness. 

From Scary to Stigmatizing  

Each year, mental illness finds its way into Halloween imagery in troubling ways. Haunted attractions might feature “asylum” themes or advertise “haunted psych wards.” Actors dressed in tattered hospital gowns or straightjackets – which were once used in psychiatric hospitals but are no longer part of modern, trauma-informed care and crisis prevention – chase visitors, sometimes wielding weapons or shouting about hearing voices. 

Even without intending to, the message sends a harmful signal: people with mental illness are dangerous, unpredictable, and frightening. This narrative is not only inaccurate – it’s also deeply harmful.  

Research consistently shows that people living with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. According to CMHA BC, perpetrators with mental illness alone accounts for only around 3% of violent crime in Canada, while those with substance use challenges account for about 7% (CMHA BC, 2025). 

These statistics remind us that reducing violence connected to mental illness means supporting those who have experienced trauma and ensuring they receive the care and support they deserve. 

The Real-World Impact of Stigma 

For those who have lived with mental illness, especially those who have been hospitalized, seeing their real-life experiences turned into fear-based entertainment can be painful. It reinforces society’s deepest misconceptions about who they are and what they’ve been through. 

Stigma and discrimination remain major barriers to seeking help. Many people choose not to reach out for support because they fear being judged, mistreated, or losing relationships. When mental illness becomes a horror theme, it sends the message that those fears are valid – that they should hide their struggles. 

As the National Alliance on Mental Illness reminds us, this season brings not only ghosts and goblins, but also stigma (NAMI, 2025). 

How to Celebrate Mindfully This Halloween 

You can help make Halloween more inclusive and compassionate for everyone by reflecting on the impact of your choices. Here are a few ways to do that: 

1. Reflect on your costume. 

Ask yourself: Could this costume perpetuate harmful stereotypes or make fun of a marginalized group? Costumes that portray people with mental illness, or use words like “psycho,” “crazy,” or “insane,” contribute to misunderstanding and fear. 

2. Avoid attractions that exploit mental illness. 

If a haunted house or event features “asylum,” “psych ward,” or “psychiatric hospital” themes, consider skipping it, and let organizers know why. Your feedback can help inspire more thoughtful and inclusive events in the future. 

3. Speak up with kindness. 

If you see someone wearing a stigmatizing costume, try to engage them with curiosity instead of confrontation. You could say: 

“Hey, I know you probably didn’t mean any harm, but that costume can actually be hurtful to people who’ve experienced mental illness. A lot of folks are working hard to reduce that stigma.” 

Sometimes, a gentle conversation can plant the seed for greater awareness. 

4. Shift the narrative. 

Encourage creativity that celebrates the fun of Halloween without turning real people’s experiences into something to fear. There are countless ways to be spooky, clever, or funny that don’t come at someone else’s emotional expense. 

Keeping the Halloween Spirit 

Halloween should be a time where everyone feels safe to express themselves, connect, and have fun. By choosing mindful costumes and recognizing harmful stereotypes in our communities, we can ensure that our celebrations don’t come at the cost of someone else’s dignity. 

This season, let’s keep the chills and thrills where they belong – in the world of make-believe – and leave stigma out of the story. 

Need Support This Halloween? 

While Halloween can be a time of fun and connection, it can also bring up difficult emotions for some people – especially if certain imagery, costumes, or events feel triggering or overwhelming. If you or someone you know is feeling distressed, anxious, or unsafe, you don’t have to face it alone. 

The CRCL (Crisis Response, Community-Led) team is here to help. Our trained Crisis Responders offer compassionate, in-person support to anyone experiencing distress or crisis – whether it’s related to mental health, substance use, isolation, or emotional overwhelm. 

You can reach the CRCL team daily from 8 AM to 12:30 AM for support and connection. Contact CRCL by calling 1-888-261-7228 or by texting 778-839-1831. 

This Halloween, let’s take care of ourselves and each other. 

Sources 

1. Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division (CMHA BC). (2025). Violence and Mental Illness: Facts and Myths. Retrieved from https://bc.cmha.ca/documents/violence/  

2. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). (2025). Stigma and Mental Health Awareness. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org