Foundation of Hope Gives Over $340,000 to Mental Illness Research

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The Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness

Jun 01, 2021, 08:30 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its efforts to curb the debilitating effects of mental illness, the Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness (FOH) will award over $340,000 in research grants to seven investigators from the Department of Psychiatry at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The recipients are Dr. Brenna Maddox, Dr. Camden Matherne, Dr. Rob McClure, Dr. Margo Nathan, Dr. Julianna Prim, Dr. Justin Riddle, and Dr. Xiaoming Zeng. Their projects encompass a wide range of mental and behavioral conditions, including autism, depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and women's mood disorders.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), mood disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD affect 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 children each year. Even minor manifestations of a mental illness can cripple a person's ability to function and have lasting consequences; the damage is often compounded by rampant social stigma and isolation.

With the expected tsunami of mental health care needs anticipated after the COVID-19 pandemic, conversations around mental health needs, treatment modalities, clinical services, and care access have become more urgent. The innovative research funded by the FOH could lead to breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, improving the lives and livelihoods of those who suffer.

"Every day we hear devastating stories of the toll mental illness takes on our friends and loved ones," says Shelley Belk, Executive Director of the FOH. "And we strongly believe the answers lie in research. So, we are determined to continue funding critical mental illness research projects that have the potential to change the future for thousands of people."

For grant details: https://walkforhope.com/what-we-fund/#news

The Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

SOURCE The Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness