The Horror Writers Association is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, debuts in June 2022 and will form part of an ongoing program.

Activities planned for 2022 include establishing a dedicated webpage for resources on the HWA website, publication of Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members, “Holistic …

From the HWA Wellness Committee

The aim of the Horror Writers Association’s Mental Health Initiative is to bring hope and promote inclusion for those who endure mental illness. The initiative wants to challenge a climate within the horror genre that has traditionally focused on poor and ill-informed representations of mental illness, and this is known to be a vehicle to perpetuate stigma in wider society.

The Wellness Committee will focus on the following core elements when designing and developing its promotions and activities:

To promote a positive image of mental illness/health

To challenge and reduce the stigma associated with mental

This listing is non-exhaustible and will be updated regularly so that members have access to the most current materials as we gain access to them. For the purposes of this initial list, the contents are established resources readily available on the internet but condensed here for the purpose of ease. There will be an ongoing process of review and there are planned future additions of lived-experience reflections from members and recommended reading materials.

NATIONAL HELPLINES/INFORMATION WEBSITES

National helplines in territories where the HWA has a membership of 5 people or more. Those sites that feature any kind of paid service …