In this fascinating and personal look at mental illness, a labor economist at Arizona State, Baldwin, whose youngest son was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 21, raises unsettling questions. Why do people with mental illness face as much discrimination as convicts? Why do they often end up unemployed and in jail? Twenty-seven years ago, Baldwin listened to her son, David, then a college junior, talk nonstop and behave erratically and thought he was experimenting with drugs. In fact, he was showing symptoms of schizophrenia, which usually starts in the late teens or early twenties. He spent three weeks in the hospital, where he told his mom he thought the TV commercials were sending messages to him. Schizophrenia is relatively rare-less than 1 percent of the population suffers from it-but Baldwin also addresses the broader issue of mental illness and employment. 'One of the great tragedies of the disease is the loss of self-reliance and self-esteem associated with being denied a productive work life,' she writes. Her son's story ends on a positive note: he is married and runs a construction business. The personal is political in this rallying cry to help those with mental illness get stable employment, not just medical treatment. * Booklist, Starred Review * This book is a good read for those in the general public but should be of particular interest
to academic and public service psychologists, other mental health professionals, disability rights advocates, and those in recovery from serious mental illness and their friends and
family members. * PsycCRITIQUES * [T]his is a good resource for clinicians and researchers. Clinicians will appreciate the first section of the book while economic researchers will value the second section.... All clinicians, including physicians, should recognize the importance of connecting patients with schizophrenia to caring and competent medical professionals; now, as a result of this book, I strongly believe that we need new policies and support systems to make employment just as accessible as medical treatment. * Society of Teachers of Family Medicine * Baldwin's extensive knowledge and lived experience grant her an insight into the topic of schizophrenia and employment outcomes. Although written in an academic style, the text is not obscure. Baldwin demonstrates an assiduous ability to distill complicated economic terminology and research findings from a vast array of studies and to present these in a clear and common-sense manner. Overall, she offers a well-researched and heavily referenced volume that aims to inform current best solutions for increasing competitive job opportunities for people with SMI, including schizophrenia. A must-read for all researchers and policy makers, this book should also be prominently included in the clinician's library. Her translation of a wide body of economic theory and empirical research data into a set of clear and comprehensible policy recommendations is highly relevant for anyone whose professional interests are aimed at a better integration of theory and practice in mental health research. Additionally, mental health service users and patient advocates and caregivers may find hope and insight from Baldwin's fascinating and personal look at schizophrenia. * Metapsychology Online * In the tradition of Pete Earley and Fuller Torrey, Marjorie Baldwin weaves her experiences as a close family member of a seriously mentally ill person with hard hitting, scholarly arguments for improving our dysfunctional, fragmented mental health system. Not since A Beautiful Mind has there been such a masterful exposition of the interface between economics and schizophrenia. This book is a riveting clarion call for action and should be essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in improving conditions for the mentally ill. -- Fred Frese, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Northeast Ohio Medical University Skillfully researched and beautifully written, Baldwin's book depicts the lived experience of schizophrenia within an ambience of family coping, service system deficits , societal stigma, and employment problems, with evidence of resiliency and potential for recovery. This data-based, moving story may greatly enhance the knowledge and hopefulness of caregivers and mental health professionals. -- Harriet P. Lefley, PhD, Professor Emerita of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine In this poignant book, Marjorie Baldwin skillfully interweaves the story of her son's coping with and recovery from schizophrenia with a scholarly review and critique of the poor mental health treatment system. As a health economist, Baldwin brings fresh insights into the relationship between employment and mental illness, and makes bold recommendations for systemic and rehabilitation approaches to improving work functioning, and helping people with schizophrenia establish personally meaningful lives. -- Kim T. Mueser, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation; Professor of Occupational Therapy, Psychology, and Psychiatry, Boston University