Psych Ward Socks

Psych Ward Socks, also known as Hospital Socks, refers to the grippy, low-cut, ankle socks that one is given when admitted to a psychiatric ward. The socks are meant to be comfortable and anti-slipping for patient safety. The term was first used in a blog post from March 2012 but received more attention as a term and group concept on Reddit starting in January 2016. Memes and image macros involving the likeness of psych ward socks evolved across Reddit, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram starting most notably in 2018.