#MentalPatient Campaign Aims To Reverse Stigma After Uproar Over Halloween Costumes

The True Face Of Mental Illness?

Asda and Tesco sparked outrage this morning, facing a barrage of complaints for selling tasteless Halloween costumes apparently depicting a "mental patient" and a "psycho ward patient."

Mental health charities and patients alike reacted furiously, slamming the supermarket giants for making light of mental health issues and for "reinforcing the stigma" that those with mental illness are violent.

Responding to the costumes, the charity Time To Change, took to Twitter to encourage people to reverse the stereotype with the hashtags #timetochange and #mentalpatient.

After the request went viral, with people responding in their hundreds, the charity said how encouraging it is to see the outcry on Twitter and that "voices are being heard."

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