Transforming Lives 2006: More prominent Canadians fight stigma of mental illness and addiction

Three well-known Canadians have come forward to support the work of CAMH by sharing their personal experiences with mental illness and addiction. Rex Harrington, Glen Grunwald and Taborah Johnson are lending their stories to CAMH’s Transforming Lives Public Awareness Campaign, which has been running since May 2005 in print, and on radio and television and has prompted thousands of people to seek help through CAMH’s information line.

Rex Harrington (PDF of poster / MP3 of Public Service Announcement), ballet dancer and actor, and Glen Grunwald (PDF of poster / MP3 of PSA), Senior Vice President, Operations for the New York Knicks and former CEO Toronto Board of Trade, both have close family members with schizophrenia. The experience of growing up with a parent with schizophrenia compelled Mr. Harrington to speak out about mental illness. Mr. Grunwald’s brother is homeless and treatment-resistant. As a result, Mr. Grunwald champions the need for early detection and treatment so young people today can have better outcomes. Taborah Johnson (PDF of poster / MP3 of PSA), singer, radio host and children's television star, found help from CAMH for anxiety issues resulting from undiagnosed childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

These three individuals join eight other celebrities and non-celebrities who have participated to date. They include singer and songwriter Amy Sky (PDF of poster / MP3 of PSA) who was honoured by CAMH in May with a Courage to Come Back Award for her candour about her experience with post partum depression; Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, The Honourable James K. Bartleman (PDF of poster / MP3 of PSA) and former Toronto Maple Leaf Ron Ellis (PDF of poster / MP3 of PSA), both of whom have faced depression, and The Honourable Michael Wilson (PDF of poster), Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, whose son’s struggle with depression culminated in suicide.

The ads seek to educate the public about mental illness and addiction, to eliminate stigma, and improve access to the information and services available at CAMH.

“We want to break down the stigma that adds to the burden of symptoms and prevents people from receiving timely and effective treatment. We also want Canadians to be aware that they live in a country with one of the world’s leading academic health sciences centres dedicated to the improved understanding and treatment of people experiencing addictions and mental illnesses,” says Dr. David Goldbloom, Senior Medical Advisor, CAMH. “Through this campaign, we are letting people know that these problems are common, that there is reason for hope for recovery, and that help is available.”

CAMH is a world-renowned specialized teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto that supports more than 20,000 outpatients each year. In addition to research and clinical care, education and health promotion initiatives, such as the ‘Transforming Lives’ campaign, are central to CAMH’s mission. Addiction and mental illness touch every family. With one in four Canadians expected to confront these challenges during their lifetime, such initiatives are critical in battling these health threats. Left undetected and untreated, mental illness alone costs Ontario over $14 billion a year.

The pro bono advertising campaign was created by award-winning Toronto advertising agency, Ambrose Carr Linton Carroll. Ads will run in newspapers and magazines and on radio. A 30-second public service announcement featuring Ron Ellis was developed for television.

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