The plot of While You Were Out An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence revolves around the life of Meg Kissinger, her family, and their struggles with mental illness. The book is written by award-winning journalist Meg Kissinger who provides a searing account of her family's experiences with mental health issues. The story takes place in the 1960s in the suburbs of Chicago where Meg grew up with eight siblings and two loving parents. However, behind closed doors, the family was dealing with a harsh reality that included a heavily medicated mother hospitalized for anxiety and depression, a manic father prone to violence, and children struggling with bipolar disorder and depression. Two of Meg's siblings eventually took their own lives, leaving the family with deep scars and unspoken rules never to talk about it. The book begins as a personal story of Meg's experiences growing up with a family besieged by mental illness, but then expands to explore how childhood tragedy shaped her career as an investigative reporter focused on exposing flaws in the country's mental health care system. Through her personal narrative, Kissinger examines the consequences of shame, the impact of botched public policy, and the hope offered by new treatment strategies.

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