In 2009, you may remember that we created a hard hitting advert, 'Schizo: The Movie' Well, now it's set to take America by storm after being re-worked by the US anti-stigma campaign founded by Hollywood actress Glenn Close. The re-make aimed at American audiences will feature the actress, her sister Jessie and nephew Calen who both have mental health problems. Glenn will launch the US version today on the Katie Couric Show at 9pm our time.

We placed our award-winning advert in cinemas across England and online to challenge the stereotype linking people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia to violence, which often appears in movies. Now, Bring Change 2 Mind, a national anti-stigma campaign working across America, will bring the transatlantic export to American audiences to address the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. This is a global issue, and we have also helped to develop several campaigns in other countries including the US, Denmark, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands.

‘Schizo: The Movie’ featured our media volunteer Stuart, who has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and imagery that borrowed heavily from dark and sinister horror movies. Glenn Close herself has spoken previously about the role the film industry can have in perpetuating stereotypes. The advert was a hit in the UK with over 446,000 people seeing the trailer and it won ‘Best Use of Video’ at the 2010 Revolution Awards.

Having Glenn’s campaign reproduce ‘Schizo: The Movie’ is a tribute to anti-stigma work in England. We shared the results of our advert with her and agreed for its use in their campaign. I’m confident that it will now be an effective way of reducing stigma with US audiences and wish the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign well.

Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change

We’re very proud of our partnership with the Time to Change campaign in England.  Jessie and Calen are the ones who have actually had to live through it, so I am here to support them, and hopefully through their story and through our story as a family, we can really get this country past the tipping point where people can talk openly, without shame and without fear, about something which is so common to most families.

Hollywood actress, Glenn Close