Sir: Many of us will have been involved with or subjected to the ritual ‘trick or treat’ routines of the 31st October. I was surprised to open the door to a group of 10-11-year-olds who had dressed up as people with schizophrenia rather than the more traditional ghosts, witches, demons, devils, grim reapers and so forth. I was informed by their accompanying parent that they had some teaching at school about mental illness. They were sufficiently intrigued and terrified by what they had heard to enact their impressions in the above way.

While there are many ways in which public awareness campaigns can be misunderstood, I had not previously come across this one. I have written to the local director of education with this feedback, but thought that the College may also like to be aware of this particular interpretation.