---
title: "Psych News Alert: Father and Son Tell a Tale of Severe Mental Illness"
description: "Severe mental illness is often a family affair. Henry’s Demons: Living With Schizophrenia, A Father and Son’s Story , by British journalist ..."
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_60002713-Jun-24-2025-07-34-27-9265-PM.jpg
---

 1/6/12 12:00 AM

# Father and Son Tell a Tale of Severe Mental Illness

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

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Severe mental illness is often a family affair.

*Henry’s Demons: Living With Schizophrenia, A Father and Son’s Story*, by British journalist Patrick Cockburn and his son Henry, tells a story—through alternating father and son chapters—of Henry’s slow descent into and emergence from severe mental illness. Published by Scribner in 2011, the book is reviewed by psychiatrist Lloyd Sederer, M.D., in the January *American Journal of Psychiatry*. Sederer strongly recommends the book to both clinicians and patients and their families. “Through father and son, we enter the world of mental illness in personal and painful ways,” he writes. “What distinguishes this book are the plethora of lessons learned, none delivered in didactic or pedantic ways but instead through narrative and experience.” The review is online [here](http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/data/Journals/AJP/4396/appi.ajp.2011.11081175.pdf).

For more information about how families and patients can participate in treatment of schizophrenia see *[Psychiatric News](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=180850).*

(Image: Lasse Kristensen/shutterstock.com)

[schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia)

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## [Risk of Death From COVID-19 Remains Higher Among People With Serious Mental Illness](https://alert.psychnews.org/2022/08/risk-of-death-from-covid-19-remains.html)

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