Inaugural Dr. Guislain Award - "Breaking the Chains of Stigma" Makes Global Call for Nominations

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Inaugural Dr. Guislain Award - "Breaking the

Chains of Stigma" Makes Global Call for

Nominations

PR Newswire

GHENT, Belgium, July 12, 2012

- Belgian Museum and Janssen Research & Development, LLC, to Honor

Groundbreaking Work to Reduce Stigma Around Mental Illness

GHENT,

Belgium

,

July 12, 2012

/PRNewswire/ -- The inaugural Dr. Guislain

Award - "Breaking the Chains of Stigma" - and call for nominations is

announced today by Museum Dr. Guislain in Ghent,

Belgium

, with support from

Janssen Research & Development, LLC ("Janssen"). The

$50,000

award will

honor an individual, project or organization that has made an exceptional

contribution to reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. Nominations

can be submitted at www.drguislainaward.org, and will be accepted until

August 4, 2012

.

Dr. Joseph Guislain (1797-1860) was a driven activist for patients with mental

illness and the first Belgian psychiatrist to provide scientifically based treatment

for these individuals. As a passionate advocate for those with mental illness, Dr.

Guislain worked tirelessly to stand up for the rights of patients and help improve

their social position. He lectured and published extensively about mental illness

and enjoyed considerable recognition by his contemporaries.

Museum Dr. Guislain and Janssen will jointly sponsor the award, with funding

provided by Janssen. Both organizations have a rich heritage and long-standing

involvement in the field of mental illness research, treatment and education.

"Museum Dr. Guislain is very pleased to honor the memory of Dr. Guislain

through the creation of this award," said Brother Rene Stockman, general

manager of the Museum Dr. Guislain. "In recognizing the important

contributions of individuals and organizations who have helped to reduce the

stigma associated with mental illness, we both acknowledge Dr. Guislain's

legacy and demonstrate the continuing need to educate the general public on

harmful effects of social exclusion faced by many with mental illness."

The Museum Dr. Guislain was founded in 1986 in Ghent,

Belgium

, and its

exhibits address the history of psychiatry in a permanent collection and through

a series of half-yearly changing thematic exhibitions. The Museum features an

array of psychiatric photographs, two centuries of comprehensive archives and

an extensive library chronicling the history of psychiatry. Comprehensively, the

Museum seeks to educate the public and rectify the misunderstandings and

prejudice associated with treatment for mental illness. The Museum Dr. Guislain

attracts 65,000 visitors each year.

"Janssen is proud to support the creation of the Dr. Guislain Award for 'Breaking

the Chains of Stigma' around mental illness. Our sponsorship of this award

reflects Janssen's more than 50-year commitment to helping find solutions for

these patients and is an important component of our global

Healthy Minds

Program," said Husseini K. Manji, M.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head for

Neuroscience, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "In collaborating with

the Museum Dr. Guislain for this award, we hope to combat the stigma still

faced by, and recognize the initiatives or programs that have empowered the

dignity of, patients being treated for mental illness."

Janssen has a legacy of, and ongoing commitment to, advancing neuroscience

research. This legacy and commitment dates back to the work of Dr. Paul

Janssen (1926-2003). "Dr. Paul" is known as one of the 20th century's most

gifted and passionate physicians and pharmaceutical researchers. To honor his

legacy, Janssen supports the mental health community and various advocacy

organizations and projects. In 2011, Janssen launched

Healthy Minds

, a

comprehensive initiative that aims to encourage collaboration among

biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and public-sector partners to accelerate the

discovery of new therapeutic solutions for diseases and disorders of the brain.

The 2012 Dr. Guislain Award will be judged by a jury of international mental

health advocates and renowned authorities in the field:

Lisa Appignanesi –

London

-based author, former president of English PEN, chair of

trustees of the Freud Museum in

London

Siri Hustvedt – Essayist, novelist and poet

Dr. Steven Hyman – Director of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, chair of the One Mind for Research scientific

advisory board

Patrick Kennedy – Former U.S. Congressman and the co-founder/co-chairman of One

Mind for Research

Dr. Alan Leshner – Chief executive officer of the American Association for the

Advancement of Science

Dr. Bernard Sabbe – Chair and professor in medical psychology and psychiatry at the

University of

Antwerp

, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and

psychiatrist/psychotherapist at the Sint-Norbertus Psychiatric Hospital in Duffel

The winning individual, project or organization will be determined by

September

10, 2012

, and honored at a ceremony in Ghent,

Belgium

on World Mental

Health Day,

October 10, 2012

. For more information, or to submit a

nomination, please visit www.drguislainaward.org.

Contact:

Patrick Allegaert

Museum Dr. Guislain

[phone]

[e-mail]