News

On Saturday, May 2, 20 staff and faculty members from the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry and Depression Center ran the 10th annual Mind Over Matter (MOM) 5k in Royal Oak, MI. The mission of the MOM race is to "erase the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide, provide hope, and raise funds for life-saving programs. To date, the MOM Race has brought more than 5,000 people together and raised over $150,000 for local brain research, suicide prevention programming, and crisis intervention services." U-M has been a recipient of funds raised since the inception. Gifts from the MOM Race have been used to establish the "Boledovich Schizophrenia Research Fund" at the University of Michigan Depression Center and further the research of Dr. Stephan Taylor. Dr. Taylor has extensive experience with the treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders and the Boledovich Schizophrenia Research Fund has helped support his research for the past nine years. Funding from recent MOM Races has allowed his research to move into the promising new arena of early identification and intervention. Dr. Taylor also recently began the Program on Risk Evaluation and Prevention (PREP), which conducts research and evaluations on individuals at high risk for developing psychosis. This is a highly promising area which suggest that serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, may be preventable with targeted, early intervention strategies. In the first nine years, MOM Race proceeds have given the department $67,500 which averages $7,500 annually. 2015 numbers will be announced in August.

May is national mental health awareness month. Races such as the MOM 5k serve as a reminder that mental health conditions are common, treatable, and nothing to be ashamed of. We look forward to the 2016 race!