During the 2022 Democratic primary for the Pennsylvania Senate seat, then-Lt. Governor John Fetterman had a stroke. Despite needing weeks to recover at the start of the campaign, he eventually won the nomination. In January, he took the oath of office after defeating Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. His medical issues persisted, and he is now in the hospital. According to reports, however, his doctors might soon release him.
In mid-February, Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reid National Military Medical Center for treatment of clinical depression. On March 14, reporter Manu Raju tweeted an update on the freshman senator. Fetterman, who has been hospitalized for a month, is still there, according to him, because doctors are trying to figure out his medications.
According to a source close to the senator, Fetterman will be “as good as or better than his best days post-stroke.” He could be released from the hospital within the next few weeks.
John Fetterman is making progress in his recovery from clinical depression and could leave Walter Reed within next two weeks, a person close to the senator told me. The senator's physician recently informed him that he will be “as good or better than his best days post-stroke."
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 14, 2023
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 21 million adults in the United States (8.4% of all adults) experienced at least one major episode of depression in 2020. Approximately 66% of those were treated.
Depression symptoms include persistent sadness or a loss of interest in life. Patients may have difficulty performing everyday tasks such as combing their hair or getting out of bed. Some people suffering from the disorder have suicidal thoughts.
Reaching out and seeking help from a US legislator goes a long way toward removing the stigma associated with mental health treatment. Fetterman’s colleagues applauded him for checking himself into the hospital to receive care. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), for example, expressed his support for the senator on social media. He expressed his support for the Democratic lawmaker. He also expressed hope for “strength, peace, support, and recovery.”
