My writing was always intended to help people think, but recently there's been a notable shift in how I've been handling the characters' mental states. Despite the fact they're technically in worst-case scenario situations, they've started showing signs of improvement. Under the right conditions, perspective can be a game-changer.

7971613 One's mood is always governed by perspective. In the same situation, one person can be depressed and the other one euphoric.

One's mental state is an internal state, not the state of the world around them. Sure, reality can affect the inner world, but it doesn't dictate it.

It mostly boils down to how a person is wired. Some can handle any situation, and some can have their day ruined by spilled milk.

7971613
True
Plus I have created some plot points of some of my ocs having some mental problems, and slowly they're getting better. Here are some of them as examples:

Peach Glow (Plus I'm still working on her bio so it's kinda WIP XD, I'll text what I know of now):
When Heartbeat (my other oc, a unicorn medical mare), adopted Peach Glow, the first thing that she noticed is that Peach Glow is a bit malnourished. Soon after that, it's later found out that Glow is littled, or age regression: She has the body of a 19 year old, mind of a 10 year old. She's also missing a wing, in which she is unable to fly

During Peach Glow's mental health development, she has grown to trust ponies and other creatures, and `also learn to watch out for enemies as well.
She has also been shown to have some bravery, such as running right past some magical energy blasts to save her friends, and also litterly flying (She have gotten a metal wing later on) to doge a lightning storm.

Heartbeat:
Even the medical mare needs help, in this case, sometimes she is afraid of her past and her captives.
For context, in both a FoE spin off, and another MLP au world, she has a similar yet different origin story. The moment of originally living in a dark place before getting rescued, or escaping from it (FoE), has some effects:

FoE: At first she doesn't like snowball fights due to being hit by a snowball, and shouted and almost killed a colt (Since she has been in a raider camp, her childhood is just blood and violence). There are some moments of her seeing a very bloody body, and kinda acting casual about it, even when being concerned, same thing when seeing some bodies used as decorations, shes kinda unfazed by it.
She was also forced to kill her "dad" to end his suffering from the raiders...

Another WIP Au, Rainbow 01 is a working title: Went through a similar situation, instead there is one difference, she been rescued by some police and was put in an orphanage for a while.

7971613
Sounds like a noble cause. Go for it!

Make an OC role-model that can lead (the reader) by example and toss it through the hoops of life. (I would recommend OC since it will be unburdened by the reader's expectations and demands on how the character should think and act.)
The protagonist character brings up entirely new ways to look disasters, that the reader may not have thought of. As you say, the perspective and how you look at the situation can be a game-changer.

7971628

7971668
There are a few reasons for this improvement, but it really comes down to good old-fashioned heroism. Good guys tend to feel better when they do the right thing. Sounds like a fairly simple concept, at least from my point of view. They're also in a position where right and wrong are easy to distinguish, so that helps.

It’s good to observe your own work and the way you write character development. When leaning into mental health issues, make consideration of what the character’s mind state is. Mental health problems can range from the every day stress we all feel, to complex personality disorders, and to downright impairments of central processing which results in a state of psychosis. Not to be a downer, but patients with cognitive issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, etc. will rarely ever improve when given external stressors. Stress, after all, is toxic to the brain in excess. Therefore, I think it would be more impactful to the reader to witness the character to suffer during the stressor, seeing their worst qualities come out, but once they triumph they are given a moment of respite to look back and reflect on the progress they made. Healing occurs when the wound can rest, but not when it is actively being widened.

That’s my two cents, anyway.

7971753
Several characters in my current story struggle with mental health issues, with PTSD and Depression being the primary culprits. It's the way they handle those issues and build each other up that aids in their recovery. They more or less personify the redeemable qualities of humanity as opposed to the monsters. The latter were born from human evil. That's why my characters took it upon themselves to fight back.

7971789
Despite its morbid reality, PTSD makes for a good addition of depth to a character who would reasonably have it. Here’s an excerpt from my student notes on the disorder,

Symptom Mnemonic: DRREAAMS

Disinterest in usual activities
Re-experiencing the trauma through intrusive thoughts
Reckless behavior (often brought on by the intrusions)
Event preceding symptoms (patient gets PTSD from an event)
Avoidance of associated stimuli (I.e vet. avoiding fireworks)
Angered outbursts (not very common)
Month or more of symptoms (less than a month is acute stress disorder)
Sympathetic arousal (also called hypervigilance. The patient is always on edge and has trouble relaxing or sleeping. Often feel “dull” when attempting to do something fun.)

PTSD is a consequence of our brain being so good at prioritizing its own safety. It’s perhaps one of the hardest disorders to treat as the brain makes new, strong neural connections to deter the body from ever getting into the “event” again. If you write a character with PTSD and want it to be realistic, it’s going to be a life long struggle for them. HOWEVER, just because it doesn’t go away doesn’t mean they can have sincere improvement. All cognitive disorders are a spectrum and each patient is unique, so I’m not going to say it’s unrealistic to write a character who more or less “recovers” as the story goes on.

7971806
One of of the support characters is a survivor of domestic violence. The other is actually the main character's father who resorted to alcoholism to cope with the scars of an abusive childhood. He ended up in prison on manslaughter charges after a bar fight and was released at the turn of the millennium. Many of the characters are people who have hit rock bottom in some form or another. They're sympathetic to the struggles of others. A good support structure goes a long way.

7971858
If you have experience with the topic, then I say to go all in. Otherwise, research into victim statements may help establish a basis of empathy. Not to sound sociopathic, but we all have a limited ability to empathize, and matters of the mind is perhaps the most difficult challenge in the transmutation of consciousness. I caution you to not bite off more than you can chew. I personally have witnessed and experienced the toxic reward circuit of drugs, but domestic abuse? Not even close. I would have to phone a friend to write that accurately.

I won't pry and ask you if you've experienced these topics. This is not the time nor place to open the heart, though I am more than willing to discuss it through DMs. Just know that when writing the marginalized, you need to exercise caution. The last thing you want is a reader who has experienced the unforgivable to disagree with your portrayal and deem it as a stereotype.

Good luck writing. I believe that you can do it. We don't have to die to write about death, although it certainly would help with the accuracy!