Stop Stigma With Science Campaign To Share Research-Based Facts To Educate Public And Reduce Stigma On Mental Illness

NEW YORK, April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation will launch STOP STIGMA WITH SCIENCE, a public information campaign on May 1 during May's Mental Health Awareness Month, in an effort to educate the public on the importance and impact of mental health science and research and help reduce the stigma of mental illness.

The campaign will focus on sharing research-based scientific facts about the brain and psychiatric disorders and use the hashtag #ScienceStopsStigma on the Foundation's Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn social media platforms. The goal is to share information about the biological roots of mental illness and the importance of mental health research in order to raise awareness and reduce the social stigma that prevents many people from seeking help.

"We believe the stigma surrounding mental illness is one of the barriers that prevents people from seeking help," says Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President and CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. "By educating the public about the scientific and biological basis of psychiatric disorders, and the amazing progress we are making in brain and behavior research, we hope to help those who continue to suffer in silence."

STOP STIGMA WITH SCIENCE is part of the Foundation's ongoing efforts to alleviate the suffering caused by mental illness by funding cutting-edge research for the understanding, early detection, prevention, treatment and cure of brain and behavior disorders, including ADHD, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, mood disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and suicide.
"Supporting research is the only way to advance our understanding of these conditions, which affect one in four people, and discover scientific breakthroughs that lead to better treatments and, ultimately, cures," noted Dr. Borenstein.

Each day throughout the month of May, the Foundation will post on its social media channels statistics, discoveries, and facts designed to debunk the myths surrounding mental illness, spur conversation, open dialogue and share knowledge. 

"Our goal is to get people talking and achieve broad social media interaction by asking people to like, share and comment on our posts. By spreading the word about the importance of brain science research, we hope to help remove some of the shame and stigma that surrounds mental illness," said Lauren Duran, Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Public Relations at the Foundation.

The public is invited to join the conversation by visiting the Foundation's Facebook and Twitter pages to like and share content; use the Foundation's suggested tweets and images on personal social media pages; show support for Mental Health Awareness month and the campaign by replacing personal profile images with the STOP STIGMA WITH SCIENCE social media logo; and by creating individualized posts using the #ScienceStopsStigma hashtag.

For more information on STOP STIGMA WITH SCIENCE visit https://bbrfoundation.org/StopStigmawithScience

About the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation:

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering of mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. The Foundation funds the most innovative ideas in neuroscience and psychiatry to better understand the causes and develop new ways to treat brain and behavior disorders. These disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Since 1987, the Foundation has awarded more than $328 million to fund more than 4,800 grants to more than 3,800 leading scientists around the world. This has led to over $3 billion in additional funding for these scientists. The Foundation is also dedicated to educating the public about mental health and the importance of research including the impact that new discoveries have on improving the lives of those with mental illness, which will ultimately enable people to live full, happy and productive lives. For more information, visit www.bbrfoundation.org.

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SOURCE Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

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