Depression is one of the nation’s most common illnesses, affecting millions of Americans from every walk of life, including those elected to serve in Congress and other public offices.
Rep. Tom Kean (R-Westfield) is the latest member of Congress to publicly disclose a battle with depression, joining a bipartisan group of current and former elected officials who have spoken candidly about their mental health struggles in an effort to reduce stigma and encourage others to seek treatment.
Kean revealed Tuesday that he has spent the last several months in an inpatient treatment facility after being diagnosed with depression, explaining that what began as a hospital stay for testing unexpectedly turned into long-term treatment at his doctors’ recommendation. The two-term Republican said he initially resisted hospitalization because of his responsibilities to his family, constituents, and Congress, but ultimately followed medical advice.
He said his experience had given him “a deeper appreciation for the millions of Americans who face these challenges every day.”
“Many do so quietly. Many do so alone. Many do so while carrying burdens that the rest of us never see,” he said. “To them I would say: Asking for help is not weakness. It is strength.”
Among the most prominent lawmakers to speak publicly about depression is U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), who checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in February 2023 for treatment of clinical depression after his symptoms worsened following a stroke. Fetterman returned to the Senate weeks later and has since become an outspoken advocate for mental health treatment.
More than half a century earlier, former U.S. Sen. Thomas Eagleton (D-Missouri) became one of the first major American politicians whose history of depression became national news. After George McGovern selected him as his running mate in the 1972 presidential election, it emerged that Eagleton had been hospitalized three times for depression and received electroshock therapy. He withdrew from the Democratic ticket but went on to win re-election to the Senate in 1974 and 1980.
Other lawmakers have also spoken openly about depression.
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) has described depressive episodes during college and later in life. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-New York) has discussed being hospitalized for depression before entering public office.
Former U.S. Sen. and Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles acknowledged taking Prozac and dealing with depression while campaigning for governor in 1990, saying he hoped his openness would encourage others to seek help.
Former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton publicly discussed his battles with depression and alcoholism before winning statewide office. Former Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island) and Lynn Rivers (D-Mich.) each disclosed living with bipolar disorder.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Massachusetts), who is currently seeking a U.S. Senate seat, has been public with his post-traumatic stress disorder. So has U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona).
Historians have also concluded that several towering political figures likely lived with what would now be recognized as clinical depression, including Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill.
Mental health advocates say such public disclosures can help normalize treatment and remind Americans that depression is a medical condition—not a personal weakness—and one that can affect anyone, regardless of profession, position, or prominence.
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