BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and his family are donating $3 million to help start a new research institute at Indiana University that focuses on mental health.
The Irsay Family Research Institute will be located on the IU Bloomington campus and will focus on the following areas:
- Provide direct support and development of research and researchers interested in health and health care
- Conduct more advanced interdisciplinary research in the sociomedical sciences, while bringing several campus-wide efforts under a single umbrella
- Produce more graduates who are trained to work in the mental health field and raise awareness among all health care providers on how mental health issues complicate care for many other serious illnesses
- Inform a broader local and national policy agenda relating to mental health and stigma
The Irsays launched "Kicking the Stigma" in late 2020 to raise awareness about mental health disorders and to remove the shame and stigma too often associated with these illnesses.
"The stigma surrounding mental health is a matter of life and death, and we must do everything possible to lessen that stigma and remove this obstacle to people getting the help they need," Irsay said in a news release. "Indiana University already has been one of the world's leaders in studying mental health, and we're so pleased this outstanding resource is in our home state so together we can advance this important conversation."
The Colts raised $4.5 million during a weeklong virtual fundraiser for Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2021. The money will help fund nonprofits and institutions that provide treatment services or raise awareness about mental health and mental illnesses.
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