Bernice Pescosolido has been chosen to head the Irsay Family Research Institute, IU's new organization "designed to be the leading national center for addressing the stigma surrounding mental health and other health challenges," as reported by the Indiana Daily Student. Also per the article, the institute will focus on:
- Providing direct support and development of research and researchers interested in health and health care.
- Conducting more advanced interdisciplinary research in the sociomedical sciences, while bringing several campus-wide efforts under a single umbrella.
- Producing 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 serious illnesses.
- Informing a broader local and national policy agenda relating to mental health and stigma.
About our own Professor Pescosolido, the IDS had the following to report:
"The institute and related programs will be led by IU's Bernice Pescosolido, Distinguished Professor of Sociology in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences and director of IU's Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research. She is a nationally recognized scholar in stigma research and an elected member of both the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences.
With her colleagues, Pescosolido has developed and led the National Stigma Studies over the past 25 years. At IU, she led the Bring Change to Mind national pilot study to increase mental health awareness and reduce stigma on college campuses.
'We are honored that the Indianapolis Colts have chosen Indiana University to develop and carry out the research needed to build the scientific foundation for ending the stigma of mental illness and to work together to confront discrimination that other medical problems face,' Pescosolido said. 'As the first professional sports franchise to step out front to confront stigma of mental illness, the Colts display the courage and vision to fight prejudice in health and health care. We are proud to partner with our Indiana home team to do the science to target the stigma that deprives individuals of their health and dignity as they battle mental health and addiction.'
Through research, outreach and education, the Irsay Family Research Institute will build connections between existing health-related social science programs, centers and researchers on the IU Bloomington campus and the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, along with other IU programs and state of Indiana partners, to create opportunities for transdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. A core mission is to target the stigma that pervades many health challenges, such as mental illness and reproductive problems, and deprives individuals of equitable treatment and adequate resources."
Congratulations, Bernice, on this huge honor and opportunity!
Read the rest of the IDS article here: https://news.iu.edu/stories/2021/12/iu/releases/08-irsays-donate-3-million-research-institute-mental-health-stigma.html
The College of Arts