She progressed to more mature roles, such as Neely O'Hara in the film 1967 and Natalie Miller in the film 1969.
On December 14, 2007, her 61st birthday, Duke was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters degree from the for her work in advancing awareness of mental health issues.
Sean invited the public to contribute to a mental health foundation in his mother's name, the Patty Duke Mental Health Initiative.
She lobbied the and joined forces with the and the to increase awareness, funding, and research for people with mental illness.
John Astin, Desi Arnaz Jr.
In 2007, Duke appeared on , talking about her bipolar disorder.