WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, still recovering from a stroke, has checked himself into Walter Reed 好色tv Military Medical Center to seek treatment for clinical depression, his office said Thursday.
Fetterman, who has struggled with the aftereffects of a , checked himself in Wednesday night, it said.
鈥淲hile John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,鈥 his chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, said in a statement.
Fetterman was evaluated Monday by the attending physician of Congress, Dr. Brian P. Monahan, who recommended inpatient care at Walter Reed, Jentleson said.
鈥淛ohn agreed, and he is receiving treatment on a voluntary basis,鈥 Jentleson said. 鈥淎fter examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself.鈥
Post-stroke depression is common, with one in three stroke patients suffering from it, and is treatable through anti-depressant medication and counseling, doctors say.
Fetterman, 53, is in his first weeks as a U.S. senator in a hard-fought contest against GOP nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz. Fetterman, who was Pennsylvania鈥檚 lieutenant governor, defeated the celebrity heart surgeon by 5 percentage points, flipping a seat that was key to Democrats holding the Senate majority.
Fetterman鈥檚 wife, Gisele, said she was proud of Fetterman 鈥渇or asking for help and getting the care he needs.鈥
鈥淎fter what he鈥檚 been through in the past year, there鈥檚 probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John,鈥 she wrote on Twitter.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Fetterman 鈥渋s getting the help he needs鈥 and is expected to return soon, but declined to answer questions about Fetterman's condition.
The Democratic caucus is "totally behind him,鈥 Schumer said.
Fetterman suffered the days before last May's primary election and spent much of the summer recovering and off the campaign trail.
The , he has said.
As a result of the stroke, Fetterman underwent surgery to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator to manage two heart conditions, atrial fibrillation and cardiomyopathy.
He returned to campaigning in public in August, but refused to release his medical records or allow his doctors to answer reporters鈥 questions. His health became a central issue in the campaign, as Oz question of about the effects of the stroke and whether Fetterman was fit to serve.
Fetterman鈥檚 campaign in October released a letter from a Pittsburgh-area physician who said he exhibited no effects on his 鈥渃ognitive ability鈥 or his ability to think and reason after the stroke, was recovering well and and 鈥渃an work full duty in public office.鈥
He continues to suffer the aftereffects of the stroke, in particular auditory processing disorder, which can render someone unable to speak fluidly and quickly process spoken conversation into meaning. To manage it, Fetterman uses devices in conversations, meetings and congressional hearings that transcribe spoken words in real time.
Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele, associate dean and professor of neurology at the University of California-San Francisco, said studies have shown that someone who suffered from depression before having a stroke 鈥 like Fetterman 鈥 is at greater risk of having post-stroke depression.
It鈥檚 not clear why strokes tend to cause depression, Ovbiagele said, but strokes act on the brain and can affect behavior, and people who are having trouble recovering can get frustrated, causing depression.
Dr. Eric Lenze, head of the psychiatry department at Washington University in St. Louis, said it is heroic that a major political figure 鈥 Fetterman 鈥 admitted to being treated for depression instead of trying to hide it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 when people admit to it we start to see a reduction in the stigma around mental illness,鈥 Lenze said. "I鈥檓 glad he admitted it. I found it a brave thing to do.鈥
Senators from both parties were supportive after Fetterman鈥檚 office announced the news, applauding him for getting help and acknowledging that he needed it.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, learned about Fetterman鈥檚 hospitalization as he walked off the Senate floor after making a speech.
鈥淚 stand by John Fetterman and his family,鈥 Durbin said. 鈥淭his is a challenge, unimaginable challenge that he鈥檚 faced in life. He deserves the very best in professional care and I鈥檓 sure he鈥檒l get it.鈥
He said he believed Fetterman would be 鈥渂ack in our ranks鈥 and could serve a full six-year term.
The No. 2 Republican, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, acknowledged he doesn鈥檛 know Fetterman very well yet but said senators were hoping and praying for his recovery.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been through a lot physically and mentally,鈥 Thune said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got to take care of himself and his family. And I think everybody supports that.鈥
Last week, Fetterman , checking himself in after becoming lightheaded. Fetterman鈥檚 office has said tests found no evidence of a new stroke or a seizure.
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Associated Press reporters Lisa Mascaro and Stephen Groves in Washington contributed to this report. Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
