“Twitter is Really Therapeutic at Times”: Examination of Black Men’s Twitter Conversations Following Hip-Hop Artist Kid Cudi’s Depression Disclosure

Abstract

Mental illness affects a considerable number of African Americans, and Black men bare a heavy burden. Over the past few years, more and more Black male celebrities have publicly discussed their struggles with mental illness, aiming to raise awareness, educate the public, and reduce stigma around mental health in the Black community. In this exploratory study, I investigated Twitter conversations following hip-hop artist Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi’s October 2016 depression disclosure. Following the disclosure, the hashtag #YouGoodMan was created to engage Black men on Twitter in conversations about mental health. I used thematic analysis to analyze a sample of 1,482 tweets from the hashtag. Three distinct themes emerged from this study, with implications for mental health communication. The three themes are (a) advocating for mental health disclosure, (b) providing online and offline support, and (c) acknowledging the role and impact of culture and society. The findings are discussed relevant to social representations theory, celebrity influence, and health campaigns.