'The greatest barrier to treatment for those suffering from depression is stigma'
The supermarket chain removed the outfit – designed to look like a blood-splattered strait jacket - after it was accused of ‘fuelling stigma’ attached to mental illness.
But from the outrage came something quite poignant - Twitter users began sharing their ‘real mental patient costumes’ in a reactive campaign led by Mental Health charities Mind and Time to Change.
Using the hashtag ‘#mentalpatient,’ hundreds who suffer from mental health problems began tweeting selfies in a bid to combat stigma they face.
One said: ‘This is what a mental patient really looks like. Scary, huh?’
Another added: ‘Here's mine. Scary straitjacket from H&M £9.99!’
'This kind of myth of the dangerousness posed by people, that you should be scared of anyone who has used mental health services, is really damaging'
One blogger criticised the reactions from those who had suggested the removal of the costume was an example of ‘political-correctness-gone-mad.’
She wrote: ‘This is not simply about “upsetting” those who suffer from mental illness. It’s about stigma and shame and ridicule, not political-correctness-gone-mad. It’s not simply insensitive to suffering, but outright damaging and dangerous.’
She points out that ‘the greatest barrier to treatment for those suffering from depression is stigma,’ adding: ‘the costume was not the issue. By any other name it was just another halloween costume.
'But using such grotesque imagery to depict mental illness perpetuates dangerous stereotypes which, in turn, further ingrains a perception that mental illness is to be feared and ridiculed. This places additional obstacles in the path of those who need to seek help and endangers lives.’
This sentiment was echoed by Sue Baker, campaigner for mental health charity Mind, during her radio interview today.
She said: ‘Stigma and discrimination is unfortunately still really damaging in England today and this kind of myth of the dangerousness posed by people, that you should be scared of anyone who has used mental health services, is really damaging.
‘(Asda) certainly crossed the line here and I hear it might well have been changed with the addition of mental patient, so it was definitely being used to tap into negative stereotypes.’
Asda's 'mental patient fancy dress costume' is no longer available while Tesco followed suit by removing its 'psycho ward' offering. Both stores have apologised and
Asda said it would be making a donation to mental health charity Mind as a result.