Vinny Departs Jersey Shore House & Speaks Up About Anxiety in New Video

Vinny Guadagnino Joins The Jed Foundation And MTV's Half of Us Campaign to Help Others Dealing with Anxiety and Stress

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On last night's episode of "Jersey Shore," Vinny Guadagnino decides to leave the Jersey Shore house to take care of his emotional health and manage anxiety issues he's dealt with since his teenage years.  Vinny has partnered with The Jed Foundation, a national nonprofit working to protect the emotional health of teenagers and college students, and MTV to tell his story and help others through the Peabody Award-winning Half of Us campaign (http://vinny.halfofus.com).

Vinny has dealt with Clinical Anxiety since he was a child, and has worked to manage these issues.  Leaving the house to bring down his anxiety is an example of the coping mechanisms that keep him well.  "We all have hard times when we feel stressed or anxious, but if those feelings are interfering with your life – school, work, relationships –you need to reach out for help," he said.  You can watch the embeddable video of his interview for the Half of Us campaign here:  vinny.halfofus.com.

"We think it's brave and important for someone in the public spotlight like Vinny to talk about a personal struggle that many people don't understand," says John MacPhee, Executive Director of The Jed Foundation.  "The reality is that anxiety conditions are very common and can be effectively managed if people speak up and get help."

For more information or to interview a spokesperson from the Half of Us campaign on ways to recognize and address anxiety issues, contact Shawn Purdy at [email protected].

ABOUT HALF OF US
The Half of Us campaign was launched in 2006 by The Jed Foundation and mtvU, MTV's college network, to raise awareness and reduce stigma around emotional health issues, and encourage help-seeking if needed.  The campaign tells the stories of high-profile artists like Mary J. Blige, Pete Wentz and Billy Corgan, as well as college students across the country.  The campaign has won a Peabody Award and a PRISM Award, and been nominated for three Emmys.  Learn more at www.halfofus.com.

ABOUT THE JED FOUNDATION
The Jed Foundation is the nation's leading organization working to reduce emotional distress and prevent suicide among college students. Guided by leading experts, The Jed Foundation is changing the way students and parents think about mental health, paving the way for more young people to get the treatment they need, and helping colleges build safer, healthier campus communities.  Founded in 2000, the organization's key programs include:  ULifeline, an online resource where students from nearly 1,500 colleges can get campus-specific resources and take an anonymous screening; the Peabody Award-winning Half of Us campaign with mtvU which uses online, on-air and on campus elements to decrease stigma around mental illness and encourage help-seeking; a portfolio of nationally recognized tools, resources and training programs that help campuses effectively promote mental health and protect at-risk students; and the Love is Louder movement that has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to join an effort to support themselves or others who are feeling mistreated, misunderstood or alone.

Contact: Shawn Purdy / Lindsey Brown – SLATE PR - (212) 235-6814 - [email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE The Jed Foundation