Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion launches website highlighting mental health resources

Megan Thee Stallion is using her rising profile to address mental health issues and provide resources for those who may be experiencing anxiety, depression and other forms of emotional distress. The 27-year-old Houston rapper, in conjunction with her recently released album called "Traumazine," has launched a website that includes a therapist locator as well as a collection of links and phone numbers for mental health organizations and hotlines. The site, taken from a line of her song “Anxiety,” focuses on resources for the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities.

"It's huge," said Nicole Milton, a training manager for Mental Health America of Greater Houston, a nonprofit that also provides awareness, education and resources for mental health issues. "One of our fights is to make sure we're reducing the stigma of mental health and seeking support. So here you have someone who is internationally known saying, ‘Hey, it's OK to not be OK and to ask for help. I also don't have days where I feel my best.’" Megan Thee Stallion, a Pearland High School and Texas Southern University graduate whose real name is Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, addresses her own mental health challenges and the death of both of her parents in "Traumazine," her second studio album. Featured prominently on the new website is an animated video for "Anxiety," which shows a woman who resembles the rapper underwater and falling further below the surface. The chorus for "Anxiety" includes the line, "All I really want to hear is it'll be OK." The mental health website lists resources under four categories: Free Therapy Organizations, Mental Health Hotlines, Resource Directories and LGBTQIA+ Community Resources. Among the organizations and hotlines listed are the Black Mental Health Alliance, the National Crisis Text Line and the LGBT National Youth Talkline.