Australian retail giant Big W has pulled a “hurtful” Halloween costume from its shelves following complaints about the way it depicted mental health issues.
The Rubies Insane Asylum costume, which resembles a straitjacket used to confine mental patients, was retired after concerns were raised Tuesday by national mental health advocacy group SANE.
SANE chief executive Rachel Green expressed disappointment at the sale of the costume and urged other clothing retailers to withdraw the product.
“This is a painful thing and the fact that it is still considered acceptable to sell it as a costume… really reveals the level of stigma that is still present in the community around mental illness,” Ms Green said. nine news.
‘It’s not okay to make fun of someone who has a mental illness. “We don’t see cancer costumes and we would be horrified if we did.”
He also uploaded a post to LinkedIn yesterday, which included photos of the costume advertised on Big W’s website for $46.80.
Ms Green urged Big W and major home interiors retailer Spotlight to consider the impact of these products on their customers and the community.
‘Living with mental health problems is not a disguise. Please do better and remove these products from sale,” he wrote.
“We are people, just like you.”
The Rubies Insane Asylum costume (pictured) was pulled from shelves following complaints from national mental health advocacy organization SANE.
A spokeswoman for Big W told Daily Mail Australia they removed the costume from their website as soon as they became aware of the complaint yesterday.
“We regret any impact we may have had on the community by having this costume available in our Halloween range,” the spokeswoman said.
“We have spoken to SANE Australia to understand the impact of stigma and the experiences of people with complex mental health issues and their families and we are aligned with their position and values.”
Daily Mail Australia understands Spotlight sold a similar costume; however, the product is no longer available on their website.
Spotlight has been contacted for further comment.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that more than 40 per cent of Australians aged between 16 and 85 have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives.
A spokeswoman for Big W confirmed they removed the costume from their website as soon as they became aware of the complaint on Tuesday (pictured, a Big W store in Sydney).
Around 880,000 Australians aged 18 and over live with a complex mental illness in any given year, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe anxiety.
SANE yesterday issued a statement urging retailers to remove costumes “that stereotype people living with complex mental health issues”.
The organization has also launched a social media campaign in a bid to stop retailers across Australia from selling costumes that stigmatize mental health.