MoodNetwork seeks new depression and bipolar treatments

BOSTON, Oct. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- MoodNetwork (www.MoodNetwork.org) invites people with depression and bipolar disorder, and their friends and families, to participate and collaborate in research to advance the understanding and treatment of these conditions.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151007/275130

MoodNetwork is the first online patient-powered research network for depression and bipolar disorder (mood disorders). MoodNetwork aims to bring together 50,000 participants who have experienced mood disorders, and their friends and families, to collaborate with researchers and clinicians.

"Depression and bipolar disorder affect millions of people, but the treatments available, while helpful for many, are not good enough," says Andrew Nierenberg, MD, principal investigator of MoodNetwork and director of the Bipolar Clinic and Research Program at MGH. "We need a new approach both to use the treatments we ave more effectively and to develop better treatments. That's where MoodNetwork comes in."

Based at Mass. General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, MoodNetwork recently received a three-year funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) as part of the development of PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network.

"The goals of MoodNetwork are simple: to look for answers to participants' questions about depression or bipolar disorder, and to improve treatments and the results of those treatments," says Nierenberg. "By joining MoodNetwork, participants will work with each other, clinicians, and researchers to reduce suffering and increase wellness. In addition, participants will contribute to the largest pool of data ever collected about mood disorders, to help evaluate treatments and plan future studies."

MoodNetwork participants can track their progress, share information, ask each other and experts questions, evaluate the effectiveness of treatments, and set priorities for research studies. As the MoodNetwork community grows, opportunities for participation continue to expand, including a new yoga study via online video.

Key advocacy members of the team include representatives of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), International Bipolar Foundation(IBF).Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide (NOPCAS) and most important, the members of these advocacy groups and others who receive care from a wide network of clinicians.

Please visit www.MoodNetwork.org to join or for more information, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoodNetwork.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/moodnetwork-seeks-new-depression-and-bipolar-treatments-300156705.html

SOURCE MoodNetwork

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]