Short drew a parallel between cancer and severe mental illness, calling both conditions that can be terminal or survivable. He described his daughter’s long fight with extreme mental health issues, including borderline personality disorder, and emphasized compassion over stigma.
Short — who shared sons Oliver, 40, and Henry, 36, with Dolman, whom he married in 1980 after meeting in 1972 — said he hopes discussing his family’s pain will encourage others to talk about mental health. He is involved with the organization Bring Change to Mind and has urged openness about suicide and illness.