Haunted asylums are a Halloween staple. Does the fictional gore undermine psychiatry’s good?

As a holiday of contrasts, Halloween celebrates sweetness and superstition — trick or treat. Traditions range from pumpkin carving and candy eating to the personification of werewolves and ghosts. Yet as adults seek thrills in haunted houses and horror movies, one common and disturbing motif is the “gorification” of the seriously mentally ill. Haunted houses across the country leverage settings, actors and props around the theme of mental illness.