For Immediate Release

October 8, 2020

The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) continues its commitment to improving the lives of those affected by psoriatic disease with the creation of the new More Than Skin Deep: Mental Health Grant. This grant will fund projects focused on investigation of impact of psoriatic disease on mental health, biological mechanisms of this relationship, as well as interventions for addressing this important comorbidity.

An increased incidence of mental health disorders in persons with psoriatic disease has been attributed to increased stressors of living with a chronic disease, social stigma associated with the disease, and evidence that inflammatory processes in psoriatic disease may also create neurological changes affecting mental health. According to a 2014 research review, those with psoriatic disease experienced increased symptoms of depression, and were 1.5 times more likely to have depression, than persons without psoriatic disease, highlighting this as an area of unmet need in the psoriatic disease community.

As a leader in transformational research, NPF is pleased to offer funding to support projects focused on this research gap in psoriatic disease.

Today is National Depression Screener Day and we encourage everyone to screen for depression, especially during these challenging times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Many people minimize their depressive symptoms and screening is an important first step in getting help.

“The mental health impacts of psoriatic disease need to be better understood in order to best serve our community, and this new grant is a significant step in that direction,” says Stacie Bell, Ph.D, the chief scientific and medical officer for NPF. “Understanding the underlying causes related to the systemic inflammation, and developing better interventions, as well as raising awareness and providing resources like screening and educational materials will lead to improved health outcomes overall.”

More Thank Skin Deep: Mental Health Grant Information

·        Applicants must hold an M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent academic degree and be eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator by their institution.

·        Applicants may request up to $100,000 (direct cost only) per year. The total project period for the application submitted is one year.

·        Applications require a project proposal that includes specific aims, background and significance, preliminary data, and experimental design.

NPF chooses research projects not only for their potential to yield information that may help treat psoriatic disease and improve patient quality of life, but also to answer basic questions about the underlying disease mechanisms, comorbidities and public health.

Learn more about all NPF grants or find RFA and application instructions.