Vogue Portugal pulls 'triggering' mental health cover after online backlash

Vogue Portugal has issued an apology and pulled one of its covers for its  “madness issue” for July/August after it was described as "triggering and insensitive" by some mental health experts.

The controversial cover depicts a psychiatric hospital and shows a naked woman in a bath tub with two women standing beside her and one of them pouring water over her head.

In its apology, Vogue Portugal said: “On such an important issue such as mental health we cannot be divided. Vogue Portugal has taken the decision to pull one of the four covers of our July/August issue which depicts a scene of a psychiatric hospital as well as the inside cover story about mental health.”

One of the critics was Emma Hopeall, who said she found the cover distasteful as she has a family member who suffers from mental illness and often gets hospitalised.

“I find the idea that you would aestheticise that on a Vogue cover for the madness issue truly incomprehensible. This is kind of strange, this kind of strange, archaic image of mental illness is deeply stigmatising,” she wrote.

London-based clinical psychologist Katerina Alexandraki told BBC UK that the cover is not a true reflection of what people with mental health issues go through.

“This image reinforces the idea of women being vulnerable and helpless during a mental breakdown. It doesn't show the effort those with mental health put in to overcoming their struggles, their strengths and resistance to overcome diversity.”