African American Celebrities & Mental Health
This award-winning singer and actress, known for "The Bodyguard," struggled with substance abuse and mental health challenges.
Who is Whitney Houston?
This 2015 Pixar film personifies emotions like Joy, Sadness, and Anger inside a young girl’s mind.
What is Inside Out?
Fact or Fiction: Therapy is only for people with severe mental illness.
What is Fiction? (Therapy is beneficial for everyone.)
This practice, often linked to mindfulness, involves bringing awareness to your breathing to help reduce stress and increase relaxation.
What is deep breathing?
This disorder is a combination of a manic phase (excessive good mood) and depressive phase (hopelessness and sadness)
What is Bipolar Disorder
This Olympic gymnast publicly shared her struggles with anxiety and withdrew from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics for mental health reasons.
Who is Simone Biles?
The plot of this 2009 drama, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr, is based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a musician who developed schizophrenia and became homeless
What is The Soloist?
Fact or Fiction: Exercising regularly can improve mental health.
What is Fact? (Exercise releases endorphins that help improve mood.)
Engaging in this activity for just 30 minutes a day can boost mood, improve sleep, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
What is physical exercise (or movement)?
Isolation, prolonged sadness, sleeplessness, thoughts of suicide, lack of interest in activities once enjoyed.
What is Depression?
This rapper and fashion mogul has openly discussed his diagnosis of bipolar disorder and how it affects his creativity.
Who is Kanye West (Ye)?
This drama starring Denzel Washington follows a pilot who struggles with substance abuse and PTSD.
What is Flight?
Fact or Fiction: Depression only happens when something bad happens.
What is Fiction? (Depression can occur without an external trigger due to biological factors.)
Drinking enough of this every day is essential for brain function, energy levels, and overall well-being.
What is water (or staying hydrated)?
Direct Threats (I want to Die), Indirect threats (your better off without me), change in personality, giving personal belongings away, no interest in future plans
What is suicidal?
This actress from “Empire” has been a vocal advocate for mental health, sharing her experiences with depression.
Who is Taraji P. Henson?
This award-winning movie starring Viola Davis and Denzel Washington explores the impact of unhealed trauma in an African American family.
What is Fences?
Fact or Fiction: African Americans are less likely to seek mental health care due to stigma.
What is Fact? (Due to cultural stigma and barriers, African Americans are less likely to seek treatment.)
This form of self-care involves setting healthy limits with others and saying "no" to protect your time, energy, and emotional well-being.
What is setting boundaries?
This disorder is characterized by depression and anxiety, as well as flashbacks. It is common among victims of crimes and people in the military.
What is PTSD?
This talk show queen has openly discussed childhood trauma and how therapy has helped her heal.
Who is Oprah Winfrey?
In this film, Will Smith plays a character struggling with depression after losing his family in a tragic accident.
What is Seven Pounds?
Fact or Fiction: Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the U.S.
What is Fact? (Anxiety disorders are some of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions in the U.S., affecting 42.5 million adults.)
Listening to music, taking deep breaths, going for a walk, squeezing a stress ball, watching something on tv, talking to a close friend
What are healthy coping skills?
Sweating, nausea, trembling, tightness or pressure in the chest, hyperventilation, and fear of dying of a heart attack
What is panic/anxiety attack?