While mental health is discussed more in the media today, there is still stigma around it — particularly in the black community. In this episode of Michigan Minds, University of Michigan assistant professor Riana Elyse Anderson, PhD, discusses how a video series is helping to reduce that stigma. 

Anderson and fellow psychologist Shawn Jones created Our Mental Health Minute, a video series created to help more people become familiar with mental health. The series fulfills their shared dream of bringing psychology content to the community in a fun and relevant way. In just a few minutes, anyone can learn about a range of mental health topics including depression, racism, abuse, personality disorders, and more. 

Anderson said that she and Jones wanted to share things they’ve learned to help more people feel more comfortable talking about psychology and mental health. The videos also provide strategies to help with a range of life events, such as talking to kids about complex issues surrounding race, and understanding what a therapy session is really like. 

“You can build up. You can do what you need to do. But it doesn’t require a huge commitment at first. It’s just one minute for your mind,” Anderson said. 

You can download and subscribe to Michigan Minds from wherever you listen to podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Play, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.