Mental health disorders are among the leading causes of health loss worldwide, with anxiety and depressive disorders ranked as most common across all age groups and locations. The World Health Organization estimates that 870 million people globally are living with a mental health-related illness. As these conditions can manifest early in life, with a 2020 analysis of the global burden of depression and anxiety worldwide showing a distinct increase in mental health disorders from ages 10-14 to 15-19, proactive intervention may be key to promoting better health outcomes across a person’s lifespan.
Mental health is influenced by a combination of interconnected factors, including individual, genetic, environmental and societal influences, making it difficult to isolate, diagnose and treat a single “cause” of psychiatric conditions. However, we believe in the potential for innovative solutions to these mental health disorders and are committed to supporting those who share our vision.
Health inequities, including those experienced that can relate to an individual’s ethnicity, age, gender and socioeconomic status, can further impact mental health. Even once diagnosed, patients of color in the U.S. experience significant mental health disparities compared to white patients, with only about 1 in 3 Black individuals who require mental health care receiving it. Addressing these disparities is crucial in our pursuit of equitable mental health care for all.
Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Impact Ventures by J&J Foundation invites innovators to submit novel precision neuroscience and digital health approaches that both aim to advance health equity and transform mental healthcare in the United States and beyond (with particular interest in Brazil, India, and Kenya) through the Amplifying Access to Mental Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge.
Applications are due October 11, 2024.