
An extraordinary $2M gift to revolutionize mental health research
The generosity of the Lise and Giuseppe Racanelli Foundation propels neuroscience at the Douglas Research Centre.
November 1
2022
To say the last two years have presented new challenges for mental health care and research institutes – and indeed, every individual in our society – is an understatement. The unprecedented impacts of the pandemic exacerbated an already growing mental health crisis.
Before the pandemic, 1 in 5 Canadians experienced a mental health problem or illness in any given year. In the first year of the pandemic, the World Health Organization recorded a massive increase of 25% in the global prevalence of anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, research showed that 61% of people with a pre-existing mental illness felt that their mental health had deteriorated during this period.
At the Douglas, we felt consequences of the pandemic acutely; at the same time, we are continually humbled by the dedication, selflessness, and agility that our staff demonstrated. The Douglas has in fact played an important and unique role during the pandemic.
Since March 2020, the Douglas has been the place of care for psychiatric patients who test positive for COVID-19 from across the province. We converted a patient unit to serve this purpose, and reconfigured additional space to house patients who cannot immediately return to their homes because of COVID-19. The Douglas also became one of many COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites.
The pandemic created many challenges, but responding to this evolving situation also presented opportunities to make much-needed investments in our digital and physical infrastructure.
The generosity of the Lise and Giuseppe Racanelli Foundation propels neuroscience at the Douglas Research Centre.
The 10th edition of Open Minds has just broken all records by raising an unprecedented $740,000 for mental health research and care at the Douglas Institute. This amount represents the largest sum ever collected in the history of this flagship event dedicated to mental health in Quebec.
The highly anticipated Douglas Show 2025 broke fundraising records this year, generating an impressive $153,000 for mental health initiatives at the Douglas Foundation. The sold-out event at Club Soda featured some of Quebec’s best comedians uniting for this important cause.