In his new memoir ‘Born to Run,’ Bruce Springsteen details his lifelong battle with depression. Norsk Telegrambyra AS/Reuters

“E Street lead guitarist Steve Van Zandt once said Bruce Springsteen never took drugs because he was afraid he might reprise his father’s depression. It turns out that Springsteen was suffering from mental illness all along.

“Much of the buzz surrounding Bruce Springsteen’s new memoir ‘Born to Run’ has been about the rock star’s disclosure of his long history of depression, which, to many, was a surprise.

“In the past, such disclosures have had consequences. It was only 1972 when Senator Thomas Eagleton resigned as George McGovern’s vice presidential running mate after the revelation of his depression. Since then, the stigma of mental illness has diminished somewhat. And yes, the requirements for the job are less stringent for The Boss than for the president.

“But Springsteen has long been committed to social justice; in writing about depression, he has perhaps undertaken a new cause, one that seeks to combat the stereotypes and stigmas about mental illness that still exist today.”

Read this article in its entirety at The Conversation.