Ways You Can Support Mental Health Research Right Now:

Ask your healthcare provider about the availability of research in your area.

Simply ask, “Do you know of any research that I could participate in?” Many providers who treat mental illness are not aware of research in their communities because their patients don’t ask.  Asking your provider at your next visit may encourage them to learn more about research in their community or become more involved themselves. Hold health care providers accountable for advancing mental health research by asking your health care provider about research.

Search www.clinicaltrials.gov for a clinical research trial near you.

Check out the ClinicalTrials.gov site, where you can search for clinical trials by condition or disease, by study type, or by numerous other criteria. Once you find trials being conducted for your illness, you can contact the listed contact person for that study to find out if there are any clinical research sites near you.

Contact a clinical research site in your area.

The STARR Coalition can help locate and connect you with the clinical research sites in your community.  Even if they don’t have active studies you qualify for at this time, most will collect your information and contact you if something opens in the future.

Contribute to medical knowledge.

There are many ways to support mental health research beyond actually participating in a clinical research trial. You could respond to surveys, participate in advocacy/peer panels, participate in prevention or diagnostic studies.

Disseminate information about clinical research and individual studies.

There are dozens of ways to educate the public on the benefits and availability of clinical research:

• Include clinical trial recruitment ads in your organization newsletters;
• Offer research brochures (available here and here) at your organization;
• Post educational and informational posters on waiting room walls (available here);
• Add links to mental health advocacy groups that support research to your websites (some – not all – organizations are listed here);
• Invite investigators from your community to speak with your audience, members, and/or employees (search for relevant studies and sites near you on clinicaltrials.gov).

Support your peers’ participation in medical research at large.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health condition that would benefit from treatment, share information about research and help them find research near them via clinicaltrials.gov.

When the opportunity arises and whenever possible, talk about the benefits of medical research and specifically mental health research.  Misconceptions about research can often be a barrier to participate — there are organizations that have resources to educate about these perceptions and support patients and caregivers to be active participants in the advancement of research (one such resource here).  

Participate in Walks, Runs, and other events that bring awareness to mental health illnesses and research.

Participate in mental health awareness and fundraising events that raise funds, combat stigma, and promote awareness of mental illness. There are hundreds of these events and activities, which are usually listed in your local paper in the community section, but some other opportunities include (not a comprehensive list):

• National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Walks – find a local NAMI Walk here;
• Mental Health America offers several ways to support awareness events. You can find options to participate here;
• The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation funds research into new treatment options through grants. Information on creating your own event or participating in an existing event can be found here;
• Schizophrenia and Psychosis Action Alliance (S&PAA) has events throughout the year, listed on their website here.

Share your story of success overcoming mental health issues with proper treatment.

Whether you are sharing your story with friends or on a more public platform, sharing a story about your mental health challenges can offer encouragement and support to others with similar experiences. The story of your successful journey with research helps bring awareness to the availability and benefits of research. Sharing your story also helps promote understanding and empathy to those without mental illness.

Online platforms for stories of individuals’ mental health journeys can be found on the following sites (not a comprehensive list):

• National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) offers several places and ways to share stories (Share Your Story);
• The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has a few places throughout their website with peoples’ stories, but their ‘I’m living proof’ program offers a place for you to share your story here.
• The Mighty has a collection of first-person stories about mental health and disabilities. When you share your story, you’re helping to break stigmas, foster connection, and let others know they’re not alone in their experiences. Share your story here.

Join and donate to organizations that support mental health research.

Donations to mental health advocacy groups have advanced scientific research as much as large public or private research funding.  Enthusiasm for research, promotion of and volunteerism for studies often increases when there is more investment from the groups funding some of their own research.

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) primary responsibility in terms of research is to ensure that people affected by mental health conditions, the individual and their families, have access to the most current information regarding mental health conditions and their treatments. NAMI is supportive of research that will lead to novel and effective treatments for people with mental illness. This support includes ongoing advocacy for research that will improve the lives of individuals and their families. It also includes informing people of ongoing research on various therapies, including clinical trials for new medications. You can donate to NAMI here.
• The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. 100% of every dollar donated for research is invested in our research grants. More information can be found here.
• The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) envisions wellness for people living with mood disorders (depression and bipolar disorder). Research is essential to increasing our understanding of mood disorders, developing new treatments, and deciding which treatments work best for which people. DBSA supports research that shares in their mission to improve the lives of people living with mood disorders. It is important to note that participating in research is not for everyone, and some research studies have risks. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance does not endorse nor recommend any particular research study. Patients should discuss all options with their health care providers and family members before beginning any study. More information on their position on clinical research can be found here.
• The Quell Foundation strives to reduce the number of suicides, overdoses and the incarceration of people living with mental health illness. They offer scholarships to individuals that are committed to creating a brighter future in the mental health field. Find more information here.

Sponsor Walks, Runs, and other community events that bring awareness to mental health illnesses and mental health research.

Donate to and support mental health awareness and fundraising events that raise funds, combat stigma, and promote awareness of mental illness. There are hundreds of these events and activities, which are usually listed in your local paper in the community section, or you can find a local NAMI Walk here.

Supporting policy advocating for mental health research raises public and policy maker awareness about the importance of mental health research.

This applies to both federally funded research and research conducted by private sector companies. It means advocating for policies that promote a robust research enterprise in the United States.

Below, we’ve listed policies that can directly improve participation, equity, and innovation: The Harley Jacobsen Act would finally make clinical trial compensation tax-exempt, helping more people take part in research. Updating FMLA to include clinical trial participation would give individuals the protected time they need to access potential new treatments. The EPIC Act would strengthen the pathway for developing small-molecule psychiatric medicines, and thoughtful adjustments to IRA price-setting policies would ensure that new CNS treatments remain viable in an area where development already faces significant hurdles.

Learn about some of the health care reform bills introduced in Congress, specific to mental health research:

• The Harley Jacobsen Act would make all clinical trial compensation tax-exempt, removing a key disincentive for participation and ensuring equitable access. Trial participants should be supported—not penalized—for helping bring new treatments to life.
• Modernize the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Outdated leave policies make it unnecessarily difficult for individuals to participate in clinical trials, especially those requiring intensive commitment. An FMLA update to formally include clinical trial participation as a valid reason for medical leave would reduce participant burden and help research teams better meet enrollment goals.
• The EPIC Act (Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures) would eliminate the so-called “pill penalty” by aligning the IRA’s price-setting timeline for small molecule medicines with that of other therapies—setting prices 13 years after FDA approval rather than 9. This change is critical for the future of brain-focused treatments.
• Modify the CMS IRA Price-Setting Policy: The Medicare price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are adding more risk and uncertainty to an extremely complex field of research. Unlike other disease areas, mental health drug development faces unique scientific, clinical, and regulatory hurdles, and as a result, it takes 20% longer to develop a CNS drug than other types of medications, CNS medicines take 38% longer to receive regulatory approval due to the complexities of mental health research, and clinical trial success rates for CNS drugs are just 6.2%—less than half the success rate of medicines for other conditions (13.3%). This is why the IRA needs to be modified to make CNS medications exempt from the CMS price negotiations.As psychiatric and CNS treatments face inclusion in IRA pricing negotiations, robust engagement from advocacy communities and individuals with lived experience can play a crucial role in securing equitable pricing or excluding these essential therapies from the process.

Become an advocate in your state to push mental health up the public agenda and change government policy for the better.

• Write, email, call, or visit your congressional and Senate representatives and urge them to make mental health research a higher national priority
  • To find your state’s representatives, go here or here
  • Research America offers great advice on contacting your state officials here

Sign up with NAMI’s advocacy group to support and join campaigns that support mental health research.

NAMI maintains a list of petitions, form letters on specific issues and legislation, and emails that you can use to add your voice to help move mental health research in the right direction.  It is easy to sign up and select the area where you want to focus your voice. Sign up here and review the available letters and petitions that you can act on right now.

Advance Patient-Focused Drug Development.

Patient-focused drug development is a systematic approach to help ensure that patients’ experiences, perspectives, needs, and priorities are captured and meaningfully incorporated into drug development and evaluation. As experts in what it is like to live with their condition, patients are uniquely positioned to inform the understanding of the therapeutic context for drug development and evaluation.

The FDA is developing a series of four methodological patient-focused drug (PFDD) guidance documents and is open to input from the public.  For information and to provide feedback, visit the FDA PFDD website here and here.