Janssen ‘Healthy Minds’ videos address mental health stigma

TITUSVILLE, N.J. — Janssen Research & Development is looking to tackle the stigma associated with mental illness in its new “Healthy Minds” video series. The series features journalist Vicki Mabrey in conversation with various mental health advocates, researchers and policymakers.

Those featured in the videos are Mary Giliberti, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Health; former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has become an advocate for mental health; and Dr. Husseini Manji, Janssen’s global head of neuroscience.

“We've learned that education and open discussion about other health issues such as cancer and HIV led to reduction in stigma about them, and that is our goal with mental illness,” Manji said. “We want to reach a moment in history when people with a mental illness are treated no differently than someone who has a medical condition not related to the brain. That's what we are striving to accomplish through this series.”

The video is part of Janssen’s wider Healthy Minds initiative, which is looking to advance research, news and information about mental health.

“Whether it's an immediate family member or a friend, we all have a connection to mental illness,” Kennedy said. “That's why we have a responsibility to the next generation to make progress in how we as a society address mental health issues.”