Fetterman Checks Into Walter Reed for Treatment of Clinical Depression

February 16, 2023 by Dan McCue
Fetterman Checks Into Walter Reed for Treatment of Clinical Depression
FILE - Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to seek treatment for clinical depression. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., checked himself into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on Wednesday night to receive treatment for clinical depression, his office said Thursday.

The senator, who suffered a near-fatal stroke while running for office last year, was hospitalized just last week after feeling lightheaded. 

Initial tests showed no sign of another stroke, but he spent two days in the hospital while doctors ran additional tests to both confirm that finding and to monitor him for potential seizures, according to a spokesman. 

He was released late Friday afternoon and returned to the Senate on Monday.

On Thursday, Fetterman’s chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, released a statement that said while the senator “has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks.” 

Jentleson said that after undergoing an evaluation on Monday by Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician in Congress, the senator followed the recommendation for inpatient care at Walter Reed.

“John agreed, and he is receiving treatment on a voluntary basis,” Jentleson said.

The physical and emotional challenges Fetterman has encountered since his stroke have been well documented. Among other things, he has had trouble hearing and has relied on voice recognition software to help him do his work.

In a pair of Tweets on Thursday, his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, said, “After what he’s been through in the past year, there’s probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John. 

“It’s not easy for anyone to be open about mental health challenges. But I am so proud of him for asking for help and taking steps to get the care he needs,” she said.

In a second tweet, she added, “our family is in for some difficult days ahead, and we ask for your compassion on the path to recovery.”

Among those who responded almost immediately to the news was Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who said he was proud of Fetterman for being open about his struggle with depression and hopes it encourages others to seek help who need it.

“Stay strong, John. We are with you,” Schiff said.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue

A+
a-
  • depression
  • John Fetterman
  • mental health
  • Senate
  • Stroke
  • Walter Reed
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    U.S. Senate

    Senate Passes $1.2T Funding Package in Early Morning Vote

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills in the early morning hours Saturday, a long overdue... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills in the early morning hours Saturday, a long overdue action nearly six months into the budget year that will push any threats of a government shutdown to the fall. The bill now goes to President... Read More

    March 15, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Senate Told Growing Wildfire Threat Needs New Strategies

    WASHINGTON — The number of wildfires driven by climate change has grown but the U.S. effort to control them has... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The number of wildfires driven by climate change has grown but the U.S. effort to control them has not, according to emergency response officials at a Senate hearing Thursday. At least not fast enough to prevent disasters like the fire that ravaged Maui in... Read More

    March 14, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Schumer Calls for New Elections in Israel

    WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, strongly criticizing Prime... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, strongly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for becoming an obstacle to peace in the region. Speaking for roughly 40 minutes on the Senate floor, Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official... Read More

    March 12, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Defense Analysts Say Threats to US Have Risen to Dangerous Levels

    WASHINGTON — Defense analysts repeated warnings Tuesday about a dangerous world the United States cannot afford to ignore in a... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Defense analysts repeated warnings Tuesday about a dangerous world the United States cannot afford to ignore in a second Senate hearing this week leading to a vote on an annual military budget. Russia is trying to expand its borders through war with Ukraine, China... Read More

    Senate Passes Bill to Compensate Americans Exposed to Radiation by the Government

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government by renewing a law... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government by renewing a law initially passed more than three decades ago. The bill by Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., would expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act... Read More

    March 5, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Kyrsten Sinema Won’t Seek Reelection in Arizona

    WASHINGTON — Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., said Tuesday that she will not seek reelection this year, clearing the way for... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., said Tuesday that she will not seek reelection this year, clearing the way for a likely matchup between Republican and Trump acolyte Kari Lake and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego. "The only political victories that matter these days are symbolic —... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top