APA Wins Prestigious Award From Advertising Federation

A graphic that APA included in a public-service announcement about mental health issues in veterans and military service members has won a top honor from the American Advertising Federation, which oversees the world's largest advertising/communications competition. The foundation says that the award, known as an Addy, "represent[s] the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative firms of all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world.” The APA "infographic" won a Gold Addy Award. It was created by APA in conjunction with Home Front Communications.

Commenting to Psychiatric News on the award, APA President Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., said, "Psychiatry and the military have had a long and interesting history, even when they didn't realize how much they needed and had to offer each other. This award-winning graphic demonstrates how far we have come in our knowledge of the brain and the effects of stress and experiential trauma on it—and how much psychiatry can and must do to help our military personnel."

APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., said, "We will continue to seek out creative ways to raise awareness of the mental health needs of our men and women in uniform and to end the unnecessary stigma against those with mental illness."