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The sides of 4,000 transit buses in more than 60 metropolitan areas in the United States, Great Britain, and the Republic of Ireland will be driving home an important message: "Mental illness should be not be faced alone."
This message is the centerpiece of a unique public awareness campaign by TDI, a New York-based transit advertising company. The campaign was launched this month and will continue through March.
TDI, through APA Medical Director Steven M. Mirin, M.D., invited APA to join in the company’s effort to raise public awareness of mental illness as part of APA’s ongoing campaign to educate the public and reduce stigma.
The 12-foot bus poster features a panoramic painting by New York artist Max Ferguson. Ferguson, known for his fastidious technique and realistic work, was chosen by TDI to illustrate the mental illness theme because of his brilliantly detailed works chronicling urban landmarks and frozen-in-time spiritual moments. His works can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London.
"We congratulate TDI for choosing to highlight mental illness in its 1998 conscious-raising campaign," said Mirin. "Mr. Ferguson’s powerful visual statement will cause millions of people to consider the difficult lives of people with mental illness who often are shut off from the joys and mainstream of life by continuing stigma and discrimination. The good news about mental illness in 1998 is that treatment works. People do not have to suffer alone."
This is the ninth year that TDI has conducted a public service campaign. TDI is donating all production costs and more than $3.5 million in advertising space.