Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, still recovering from a near-fatal stroke he suffered less than a year ago, was hospitalized for the second time just one week.

Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center because of clinical depression, his office said.

Fetterman, who has struggled with the severe aftereffects of a stroke he suffered last May, checked himself in Wednesday night.

“While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,” his chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, said in a statement.

Since suffering the stroke, Fetterman has struggled to form complete thoughts or understand spoken language. Still, Pennsylvania voters elected him in November over former President Donald Trump-endorsed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz.

Fetterman was evaluated Monday by the attending physician of Congress, Dr. Brian P. Monahan, who recommended inpatient care at Walter Reed, Jentleson said.

“John agreed, and he is receiving treatment on a voluntary basis,” Jentleson said. “After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself.”

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.

Still, it’s a concerning development considering Fetterman, 53, was rushed to the hospital last Thursday after feeling lightheaded. His chief of staff has warned that Fetterman’s brain damage could be permanent and that he hears spoken words like Charlie Brown’s teacher from the show Peanuts animated show.

Fetterman is still in the first weeks of his six-year term as a U.S. senator after replacing now-retired Republican Pat Toomey.

Fetterman’s wife, Gisele, said she was proud of Fetterman “for asking for help and getting the care he needs.”

“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,” she wrote on Twitter.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Fetterman “is getting the help he needs” and is expected to return soon, but declined to answer questions about Fetterman’s condition.

The Democratic caucus is “totally behind him,” Schumer said.

Fetterman suffered the stroke days before last May’s primary election and spent much of the summer recovering and off the campaign trail.

The stroke nearly killed him, 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’ questions. His health became a central issue in the campaign, as Oz questioned whether his opponent was honest about the effects of the stroke and whether Fetterman was fit to serve.

Fetterman’s campaign in October released a letter from a Pittsburgh-area physician who said he exhibited no effects on his “cognitive ability” or his ability to think and reason after the stroke, was recovering well and and “can work full duty in public office.”

To manage his inability to process spoken conversation into meaning, Fetterman relies on 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 — like Fetterman — is at greater risk of having post-stroke depression.

It’s not clear why strokes tend to cause depression, Ovbiagele said, but strokes can affect behavior, and people like Fetterman who are having trouble recovering can get frustrated, causing depression.

Senators from both parties were supportive after Fetterman’s 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’s hospitalization as he walked off the Senate floor after making a speech.

“I stand by John Fetterman and his family,” Durbin said. “This is a challenge, unimaginable challenge that he’s faced in life. He deserves the very best in professional care and I’m sure he’ll get it.”

He said he believed Fetterman would be “back in our ranks” and could serve a full six-year term.

The No. 2 Republican, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, acknowledged he doesn’t know Fetterman very well yet but said senators were hoping and praying for his recovery.

“He’s been through a lot physically and mentally,” Thune said. “He’s got to take care of himself and his family. And I think everybody supports that.”

 

READ MORE: Fetterman’s brain damage may be permanent, warns chief of staff

 

The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article