LOS ANGELES: Talk show host Oprah Winfrey came “face-to-face with mental illness” in recent years, because so many of her friends are suffering from psychological disorders.

The 61-year-old media mogul has long been applauded for her commitment to helping people feel well and whole, and now her philanthropic efforts have extended to her personal life.

“In recent years I’ve come face-to-face with mental illness, as several people close to me were hospitalised with severe suicidal depression and manic and schizophrenic thoughts,” she said.

“More than once I’ve sat in the psych ward waiting to hear the diagnosis.”

Winfrey feels much more can be done to support people who have been diagnosed with mental disorders.