Taye Diggs Shares How Sister’s Schizophrenia Diagnosis Influenced His Mental Health Journey

Actor Taye Diggs is opening up about how his younger sister’s schizophrenia diagnosis reshaped his family’s dynamic and changed the way he manages his own anxiety.

Speaking with CNBC Make It, Diggs, 54, reflected on his sister Christian’s decades-long journey with schizophrenia, which began when she was diagnosed in her early 20s. Now 49, Christian has become a source of inspiration for her brother.

A man supporting his friend | Source: Pexels

“It’s been a tumultuous journey, as you can imagine,” Diggs said. “Watching her through support and love and patience...has been just amazing.”

Schizophrenia, a serious mental health condition that affects perception, behavior, and cognition, impacts approximately 24 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

To mark World Schizophrenia Day, the siblings partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb for the Live Your PosSCZible campaign. In a video produced for the initiative, Christian recalled the shock of her diagnosis. “It was very shocking and a bit scary,” she said. “But...after receiving my diagnosis, I felt a little bit calmer...and I actually had hope.”

A woman in therapy | Source: Pexels

Supporting Christian through her diagnosis led Diggs to reevaluate his own mental health. Observing her daily routines—including how she moderates alcohol intake and manages exposure to large crowds—helped him develop his own coping strategies for anxiety.

“Watching her making those necessary adjustments has helped me kind of deal with my level of anxiety,” he said.