Boston (May 27, 2015)–MoodNetwork.org, the first patient-powered research network for mood disorders (depression and bipolar disorder), launched its website today. Based at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, the MoodNetwork will bring together at least 50,000 participants who have experienced mood disorders to collaborate with researchers and clinicians. Participants in the MoodNetwork will have the opportunity to track their progress, share information, ask each other and experts questions, evaluate the effectiveness of treatments and set priorities for research studies.
“The goal of this project is to transform the lives of people who have mood disorders through their active involvement in this study network,” said Andrew A. Nierenberg, MD, principal investigator of the MoodNetwork and director of the Bipolar Clinic and Research Program at MGH. “In addition to forming a new patient community alongside researchers and clinicians, participants will contribute to the largest pool of data ever collected about mood disorders. These data will help people with lived experience of mood disorders, clinicians, and researchers evaluate treatments and help plan and conduct future studies.”
The National Institute for Mental Health estimates that nearly 54 million Americans are affected by depression and bipolar disorder. Mood disorders are complex conditions, and effective treatments can make substantial improvements on the trajectory of these conditions, but clinicians are currently unable to match patients to treatments. More research is needed to create personalized care. The MoodNetwork will not only provide opportunities for people with lived experience of mood disorders to participate in research, but will also engage them in all stages of research – from setting priority questions, to dissemination of results with the ultimate goal of enhancing their empowerment through unprecedented collaboration with the research community.
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 (IBPF), Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), National Organization of 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. This project is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
To sign up to participate, or for more information, please visit www.moodnetwork.org