Behind The Scenes Of The Patty Duke Show

Duke Went Public With Her Mental Illness

During the mid 20th century, mental health was something that almost never got talked about. There was a huge stigma attached to people who had these illnesses. But in her 1987 autobiography, Duke revealed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982. This made her one of the first stars to speak about their experience with mental health issues.