The annual Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry Anti-Stigma Advocacy Award recognizes a worthy piece published in a major newspaper that accomplishes one or more of the following:

• Shares with the public their experience with mental illness in themselves, a family member, or simply in the community.
• Helps others to overcome their inability to talk about mental illness or their own mental illness.
• Imparts particularly insightful observations on the general subject of mental illness.
• A Maryland author and/or newspaper is preferred.

The award carries a $500 prize.  To nominate a piece for consideration for the 2017 award, email it to mfp@mdpsych.org no later than February 9, 2017.  The article should be published during the period of February 1, 2016 to February 9, 2017.  The 2016 winner was Amy Marlow, whose article “My dad killed himself when I was 13. He hid his depression. I won’t hide mine.” was published February 9, 2016 in the Washington Post.