MerckManuals.com to Focus on the Health Impact of Bullying During Bullying Prevention Awareness Month in October

Contact: David Santoriello at 908-277-4069

Kenilworth, N.J., October 3, 2016 – The health impact of bullying on children will be highlighted on MerckManuals.com, an online medical reference, during the first two weeks of October, which is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.

“While the entire content of The Merck Manuals is always available online, what we decide to call special attention to on the landing page is dynamic,” explained Editor-in-Chief Robert S. Porter, M.D. “We often look to highlight topics based on national observances and issues that have broad implications for society and public health."

The featured content, which can be accessed at www.merckmanuals.com/home, will include:

• an essay on bullying by a physician contributor to The Merck Manuals
• a video about study results that show that bullying can leave lasting mental health scars
• tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics on recognizing the signs of bullying

To kick off the bullying prevention awareness campaign in October, MerckManuals.com will start the month by prominently displaying a “What You Need to Know” infographic from StopBullying.gov, a website where adults can learn more about what they can do to address bullying in their communities.

Scope of the Problem

According to data from the National Center for Educational Statistics, more than one out of every five students (22 percent) reported being bullied during the school year.

Bullying affects both educational and health outcomes. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, not only does bullying contribute to academic problems, bullied students are at an increased risk for sleep difficulties, anxiety, and depression.

Medical Reference Goes All-Digital

The Merck Manuals, a series of medical reference books long trusted by doctors and patients alike, went all-digital in 2015, when many new multimedia features were added.

Provided as a public service by Merck & Co., Inc., access to MerckManuals.com is unlimited and free to all. There is no registration, and the user experience is not compromised by advertising or commercial messaging. 

Features include expert commentary, infographics, animations, video clips, health calculators and trackers, quizzes, as well as a drug interaction checker, pill identifier, and guide to pronunciation of medical terms.

More than 350 medical experts currently serve as contributors; content is reviewed by an independent editorial board.

About The Merck Manuals and MSD Manuals

First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Merck Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As The Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers. In 2015, The Merck Manual and MSD Manual kicked off Global Medical Knowledge 2020, a program to make the best current medical information accessible by up to three billion professionals and patients around the world by 2020. For access to thousands of medical topics with images, videos and a constantly expanding set of resources, visit MerckManuals.com or MSDManuals.com and connect with us on social media: 

For Consumers in the U.S. and its territories: Twitter and Facebook
For Professionals in the U.S. and its territories: Twitter and Facebook

About Merck

Today's Merck is a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.