Mary Pintea – News Editor

mvp5879@psu.edu

Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senator John Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Feb. 16, 2023 to receive treatment for clinical depression. 

On Feb. 13, Sen. Fetterman was evaluated by Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the United States Congress attending physician. Two days later, he recommended to Fetterman that he enter inpatient care, to which Fetterman responded by agreeing to receive treatment voluntarily. 

Fetterman’s wife, Gisele, said she is “so proud of him for asking for help.” 

“After what he’s been through in the past year, there’s probably no one who wanted to talk about his health less than John. I’m so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs,” she tweeted. 

Fetterman’s Chief of Staff announced that he is getting the care he needs and will return to himself shortly, stating that he has experienced spurts of depression throughout his life. Before his admission, his depression became severe in what appeared to be a matter of weeks. 

The week before entering inpatient care, Fetterman was seen at George Washington University Hospital after feeling lightheaded. He went in for the checkup out of caution, concerned that he may be showing signs of another stroke. After test results ruled out a stroke, Fetterman was released from the hospital and resumed his duties as Senator. 

Politicians have expressed support for Fetterman, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeting, “Millions of Americans, like John, struggle with depression each day. I am looking forward to seeing him return to the Senate soon. Sending love and support to John, Gisele, and their family.”

While Fetterman receives the care he needs, the admission of his struggles has raised important questions about the link between clinical depression and strokes. 

Research has proven that around a third of stroke victims suffer from some degree of clinical depression, whether it be from the impact of the stroke on the brain or for another reason. 

“There’s not a lot of data behind the reason, but one idea is that stroke itself messes up the brain’s ability to function well – not just the part of the brain where the neurons are affected by the actual stroke, but the way the different brain regions talk to each other. As a result, it can cause cognitive troubles, and that can impact the way we see and perceive the world and lead to depression,” Dr. Will Cronenwett, Chief of Psychiatry at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release Friday. 

In Fetterman’s case, it could be the psychological impact of the abilities lost or weakened by the stroke. Mental health experts also stated that it could be Fetterman’s history of depression that increased his stroke risk to begin with.

It is uncertain how long Fetterman will receive inpatient treatment, but the average visit is anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. 

“In someone who has pre-existing depression, it is possible that they may be more treatment resistant and have a history of failing medications. So as a result, they may require more aggressive treatment that can take several weeks and even into several months, depending on how they present,” said Dr. Daniel Bober, a psychiatrist in Hollywood, Florida.

Fetterman’s depression presented as weight loss and loss of appetite, contributing to the lightheadedness he felt a week before admission. 

According to inside sources, he was not suicidal. 

“Generally, the reason that someone presents to a hospital for a psychiatric condition like depression is because either they are acutely suicidal or they have been deemed unable to take care of themselves. And when I say unable to take care of themselves, I mean, their basic needs – food, hydration, hygiene – are all things that they’re required to do on a daily basis, and they are unable to do this due to the severity of their depression,” Bober stated. 

Hospitalization is not always necessary for depression, but in the case of Fetterman, it was recommended as a route of faster care. Doctors can issue trials of different medications and therapy combinations to heighten the chance of successful treatment and hopefully increase the rate of recovery. 

Bober is confident that Fetterman will fully recover, stating, “The good news is that there are very good treatments for depression and there are response rates that are as high as 80 percent of people within four to six weeks. So I am very hopeful that he will make a full recovery.”