All writers are mentally ill, so it makes sense that all of our characters are too! We talk about sensitive and insensitive portrayals of mental illness in horror and associated tropes.

Sources

https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2020.160110

https://hcpl.net/blogs/post/mental-health-and-horror-a-complicated-history/

https://thetandemcollective.com/community/blog/mentalheathandhorrorfiction

https://www.horrorhomeroom.com/the-evolution-of-mental-illness-monstrosity-in-horror-films/

https://katiemariewriter.com/2024/08/07/from-madwomen-to-monsters-unpacking-mental-disorders-in-horror-writing/

ttps://thebsdj.cardiffuniversitypress.org/articles/10.18573/bsdj.372