“What are you going to be for Halloween this year?” “Scared.” It's not the answer you might expect, but after releasing this summer it's a top choice for Halloween costumes Inside Out 2the follow-up to the 2015 Pixar hit in which feelings are personified. Child development experts praised the animated sequel for introducing young viewers to the newfound sense of anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) that arises in the mind of main character Riley as she deals with the pressures that come with being a teenager brings.

Among the witches, minions, skeletons, and other popular characters trick-or-treating this year, families may also come across child-sized costumes or Pinterest tutorials that help kids deal with anxiety (something like something you never thought you would say).

But for children it is not just a simple costume. It's also a chance to dress up as a feeling that's difficult to communicate — even if it's reportedly on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10% of U.S. children between the ages of 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with anxiety.

Layla Kippert, a 10-year-old from Tucson, Arizona, is one of the many children who will be dressing up as Anxiety this Halloween. “I felt like the way Riley's brain behaved was really similar to the way some of my brains behaved,” she tells Yahoo Life. This includes how Anxiety thinks in the film that “you have to hang out with the cool girls, not your friends.” Layla says she can identify with the character – “always preparing for the future, always being careful with your surroundings , instead of just being yourself.”

Layla says that Inside Out 2 Filmmakers “got it right” when they showed what fear can feel like. “How (Anxiety) dressed a little awkwardly at times and how (she) also said, 'What if I need help?' or would stumble over (her) words, or how (she) would say, “Oh my God, we have to prepare for this and this and this and this… these are the dangerous things that could happen.” I think “It’s really nerve-wracking,” she says.

Choosing Anxiety as her Halloween costume is an important step for Layla. “I used to just hide my fears,” she says. “But when I dress up as Anxiety (the character), I can express my feelings. I feel like (we) have a great connection.”

Some mental health professionals say the costume can serve as a type of “coming out” related to emotional struggles. “For some children, it may be easier to dress up as an anxiety child and have (people) ask about it, rather than having to tell others that they sometimes suffer from anxiety or that they can identify with the character's feelings.” says Vicki Bolina, clinical psychologist at LifeStance Health in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Bolina points out that some kids choose to wear an Anxiety costume simply because they think the character is cool and don't necessarily feel the emotion themselves. Consider Isla Runge, a 6-year-old from Beaman, Iowa. She dresses up as Anxiety “because I like her,” she tells Yahoo Life. “She's cool and orange. She's fun and silly and goes crazy when she drinks all the soda.”

But behind all the fun, younger children like her also learn something about feelings. “They got Anxiety to make Riley a new Riley – a better Riley,” says Isla. “Anxiety wanted her to be perfect, but no one can be perfect.”

Even children as young as 3 years old choose other emotional characters for their costumes. Katie Wilson, a mother from Cincinnati, said her 3-year-old daughter Elle picked out a Joy costume after watching Inside Out 2 on the big screen. While Wilson says that watching movies and dressing up taught Elle that no emotions are “bad,” she did have some reservations about her father's plan to join in and play the character Anger.

“(Elle) was very worried that my husband would dress up as Anger – he had to convince her that he wouldn't scream and be angry!” Wilson tells Yahoo Life. Elle also wore her Joy costume to a recent tumbling class, which gave her teachers a chance to talk about big feelings. “She happened to be crying about something in class, and the teachers told her she was joy and to be happy,” Wilson says. “There were probably some teaching moments there about experiencing emotions.”

Bolina adds that the conversations being had about the costumes are essential to combating mental health stigma. “It's critically important to give our children more confidence when asking questions about their mental health,” she tells Yahoo Life. “The same goes for letting children know that it is OK if they are experiencing stress and encouraging them to talk to a trusted adult.” This will help create more conversations and comfort around all mental health issues.”

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