Health

Another Literary Win Against the Stigma of Mental Illness

Published

7 years ago

December 15, 2018

As a boy in Columbus, Ohio, Stephen Hinshaw didn’t understand why his father, Virgil Hinshaw Jr., an eminent philosophy professor whose mentors included Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein, kept disappearing.
It wasn’t until Hinshaw’s late teens that he discovered his father suffered from a severe mental illness – long misdiagnosed as schizophrenia – that forced him into involuntary hospitalizations. As per the orders of his father’s physician, the illness and treatments had to be kept strictly secret from Hinshaw and his sister.
Inspired by his family’s ordeals to go into clinical psychology, Hinshaw eventually helped to get his father a correct diagnosis and treatment for bipolar disorder.
The confusion, shame and eventual reveal of his father’s tragic predicament – and its impact on the family – has led Hinshaw, 66, an award-winning UC Berkeley professor of psychology, to publish three books about the stigma of mental illness.
His latest, “Another Kind of Madness: A Journey through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness “(St. Martin’s Press, 2017), just won the American Book Fest’s 2018 award for best autobiography or memoir. The paperback edition will come out in the spring.
“It’s a deep dive into my family’s enforced silence about my father’s lifelong misdiagnosed and heavily stigmatized mental illness,” says Hinshaw. “It’s more intense than anything I’ve written before, interwoven with commentary on what stigma is and why we need to move the dial on reducing it.”

Stephen Hinshaw (right) with father Virgil Hinshaw Jr.

More than 2,000 books were submitted this year to the annual contest of the American Book Fest, an online publication promoting books from mainstream and independent publishers. Hinshaw’s book, also a finalist in the psychology/mental health category, has resonated with a wide range of readers.
“Another Kind of Madness” is one of the best books I’ve read about the cost of stigma and silence in a family touched by mental illness,” wrote actress Glenn Close in a review. “It’s a masterpiece.”
An expert on developmental psychopathology, including ADHD, Hinshaw has published more than 350 research papers and chapters, and several widely acclaimed books, including “The ADHD Explosion: Myths, Medication, Money and Today’s Push for Performance” (2014); “The Triple Bind: Saving our Teenage Girls from Today’s Pressures and Conflicting Expectations” (2009) and “The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change” (2006).
His 2002 book, “The Years of Silence Are Past: My Father’s Life with Bipolar Disorder,” was a biography of his father, a graduate of Stanford, the University of Iowa and Princeton who taught at Ohio State University for nearly 50 years.
Unbeknownst to his son and daughter throughout their childhood, the elder Hinshaw was undergoing frequent hospitalizations and primitive forms of shock therapy. As is common among families where secrets leave children confused and ashamed, Hinshaw often believed he was to blame for his father’s disappearances.
Unlike his first chronicle of Virgil Hinshaw Jr.’s life, “Another Kind of Madness” “is far more focused on what it was like to grow up in a home where my father’s mysterious and lengthy absences were never allowed to be discussed — and the impact on children when family secrets are front and center,” Hinshaw says.
The book also graphically details his fear that “I would be next to join the family legacy of psychosis and brutal hospitalization,” Hinshaw says. “It took years before I opened up enough to correctly diagnose him with bipolar disorder and talk with others about our family’s secrets.”
As for the main takeaway of “Another Kind of Madness,” “Despite our greater knowledge of mental illness in modern times, pervasive shame and stigma are still the core factors preventing treatment, better research and a more inclusive society,” Hinshaw says. “If we don’t discuss mental disorder openly, the world economy falters and everyone loses.”

Yasmin Anwar, Media Relations

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Activism

Rep. Kamlager-Dove Introduces Bill to Protect Women in Custody After Reports Detailing Miscarriages and Neglect

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

Published

22 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) on May 7, reintroduced updated legislation aimed at strengthening protections and healthcare standards for pregnant and postpartum women held in federal custody, including in immigration detention facilities.

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

The legislation builds on a bipartisan version previously passed by the House during the 117th Congress. The updated bill includes new standards for healthcare access, mental health and substance use treatment, high-risk pregnancy care, family unity protections and increased federal oversight.

“Proper pregnancy care is a human right, regardless of your immigration or incarceration status,” Kamlager-Dove said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable that there are virtually no legal safeguards for pregnant women in federal custody.”

The bill would also limit the use of restraints and restrictive housing for pregnant women, improve data collection on maternal health in custody and require additional staff training and enforcement measures.

Supporters of the measure said the legislation is intended to address long-standing concerns about maternal healthcare and safety in detention settings, particularly for Black women and low-income women who are disproportionately impacted by incarceration and health disparities.

“Pregnant women in custody should never be subjected to dangerous and inhumane treatment that threatens their health, dignity, or the well-being of their babies,” said Patrice Willoughby, chief of policy and legislative affairs for the NAACP and a longtime public policy and government affairs strategist, in a statement.

A 2021 report estimated there are about 58,000 admissions of pregnant women into U.S. jails and prisons each year. Kamlager’s statement also cited a recent investigation by NBC News and Bloomberg Law that identified allegations of severe mistreatment or medical neglect involving at least 54 pregnant women or families in county jails between 2017 and 2024.

Federal policy under the Department of Homeland Security restricts the detention of pregnant, postpartum and nursing immigrants except in extreme cases. However, the agency reported that ICE deported 363 pregnant, postpartum or nursing women between January 2025 and February 2026, including 16 recorded miscarriages during that period.

The bill is cosponsored by several House Democrats and backed by organizations including the NAACP and the Vera Institute of Justice.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

How Is AI Affecting California? The State Wants You to Share Your Story

The program marks the first time the state has opened the platform to all Californians. State officials said the effort is designed to give residents a direct role in discussions about how AI should be regulated and used as the technology rapidly expands across industries.

Published

22 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced May 7 that California is expanding its Engaged California digital democracy initiative statewide, inviting residents to help shape future state policies on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on jobs and the economy.

“We’ve got to be clear-eyed about this moment: AI is moving fast, bringing enormous opportunity, but also real risks,” Newsom said in a statement. “Californians deserve a seat at the table as we shape what’s to come.”

The initiative will roll out in two phases. Beginning immediately, Californians can sign up online to share how AI is affecting their work and communities and provide ideas for possible government action. Later this summer, a smaller group reflecting the state’s workforce demographics will participate in live discussions focused on developing policy recommendations.

State officials said the goal is to identify areas of agreement among Californians and provide policymakers with public feedback as the state develops future AI regulations and workforce strategies.

Engaged California is modeled after digital democracy programs used in Taiwan and is intended to encourage structured public discussion rather than social media-style debate. Officials described the effort as a form of “deliberative democracy” aimed at helping residents engage directly in state decision-making.

“The more Californians are engaged in the democratic process, the better able we’ll be to confront the challenges we face together,” said Nick Maduros, California Secretary of Government Operations, in a statement.

The statewide launch builds on two earlier pilot programs. One pilot gathered public input following the Los Angeles firestorms to help guide recovery efforts, while another collected ideas from state employees about improving government operations.

California has positioned itself as a national leader in AI policy and development. Since 2023, the Newsom administration has introduced initiatives focused on responsible AI use in government, cybersecurity protections, workforce training and regulations targeting risks such as deepfakes and AI-generated robocalls.

The state has also partnered with companies in Silicon Valley — including NVIDIA, Google, Adobe, IBM and Microsoft — to expand AI education and workforce training programs across California schools and universities.

Oakland Post

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Activism

California Launches Free Diaper Program for Newborns Statewide

The initiative, called Golden State Start, will provide 400 free diapers to every newborn delivered at participating California hospitals beginning this summer. The state is partnering with Baby2Baby, a California-based nonprofit that distributes essential items to children in need nationwide.

Published

23 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that California will launch a first-in-the-nation program providing free diapers to families with newborns, part of a broader effort to lower costs for parents and improve infant health outcomes.

The initiative, called Golden State Start, will provide 400 free diapers to every newborn delivered at participating California hospitals beginning this summer. The state is partnering with Baby2Baby, a California-based nonprofit that distributes essential items to children in need nationwide.

State officials said hospitals participating in the program will give families the diapers when they are discharged after birth, helping parents leave with an immediate supply of newborn essentials.

“Every baby born in California deserves a healthy start in life,” Newsom said in a statement. He said the program is part of California’s broader affordability efforts, which also include free school meals, universal preschool for four-year-olds and expanded after-school programs.

The announcement comes ahead of Mother’s Day and is tied to the administration’s broader CalRx initiative, which aims to reduce costs for essential products and medications. State officials said California is also exploring ways to lower diaper prices by challenging high costs from major brands.

The first year of the program will prioritize hospitals serving large numbers of Medi-Cal patients, with plans to expand to additional hospitals and birthing centers over time. Officials said the effort is intended to reduce financial pressure on low-income families and improve infant and maternal health by ensuring parents have access to clean diapers.

“California families deserve to feel supported during one of life’s more exciting, yet vulnerable transitions,” First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said in a statement. She said the program would allow parents to focus on caring for their newborns instead of worrying about basic supplies.

According to Baby2Baby, one in two families in the United States struggles to afford diapers. The organization has distributed more than half a billion items to children over the past 15 years through partnerships with shelters, hospitals, foster care programs and schools.

State officials said Baby2Baby will oversee diaper purchasing, warehousing and distribution through its existing hospital and community partnerships across California.