James Packer makes $7m donation to mental health research in Australia

Billionaire James Packer’s campaign to rehabilitate his reputation has taken another step as he makes a massive donation to investigate mood disorders such as bipolar disease.

James Packer has made no secret of his own mental health struggles. Picture: Getty Images

Billionaire James Packer’s campaign to rehabilitate his reputation in Australia took another step with a $7 million donation to mental health research.

“It is no secret that I have struggled with mental health problems in the past,” Mr Packer said.“ I am a passionate advocate of finding ways to improve mental health outcomes.”

The Australian tycoon and The Packer family Foundation has donated $7 million to establish the James Packer Chair in Mood Disorders at the University of NSW in Sydney.

The cash will go to the Mindgardens Neuroscience Network and a team of researchers to investigate mood disorders such as bipolar disease.

Three years ago Mr Packer revealed to the independent inquiry into Crown casinos that his bipolar disorder had impacted his behaviour in the past. He said he wanted the donation to help people suffering with the same issues.

Packer’s donation will be another step in rebuilding his reputation n his home; and. Picture: The Australian

“I am hopeful that my contribution towards this research will generate positive outcomes in this field and in so doing significantly improve the lives of people battling mental health issues both in Australia and around the world,” he said.

The donation will also be another step in helping rebuild his reputation in his home country.

He visited Sydney with his ex-wife Erica and their three children, Indigo, 14, Jackson, 13, and Emmanuelle, 10, last month but was not seen outside his luxury two storey apartment in the Crown tower.

Last June he said: “In 10 years, and hopefully well before then, I hope to have rehabilitated my reputation in Australia and elsewhere.”

Professor Attila Brungs, Vice-Chancellor and President of UNSW Sydney, said the $7 million gift would drive meaningful change in researching mental health.

“Research changes people‘s lives. We appreciate James Packer’s generous donation, which will enable UNSW researchers to develop new treatments and interventions for people experiencing mental health disorders,” he said.

“Mental health is a pressing global challenge, and this gift will help us make real progress in this critical area of research.”