Fetterman likely to remain in inpatient care for clinical depression for 'a few weeks'

Some news now on Senator John Federmann of Pennsylvania who's receiving treatment for clinical depression at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His chief of staff says the senator checked himself in to the hospital on Wednesday night writing in a statement while John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life it only became severe in recent weeks. Federmann suffered a stroke last year while campaigning in a highly competitive Senate race. He was hospitalized last week after he felt lightheaded but his staff says test ruled out another stroke. Federmann's wife posted on Twitter 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. I'm so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs. Several senators also posted messages online supporting him.

Joining us now NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns. Dasha extensively covered the 2022 Senate race in Pennsylvania between Federmann and Dr. Oz. Dasha what more do we know about his condition and how long he will be in the hospital? Well Mika first I have to say having covered Federmann now for over a year I know him I know his family I got to know his staff during this process they're all incredibly close and it's it's been really difficult to watch them go through this to continue to go through this and you know anyone who has ever experienced severe depression myself included by the way knows how important it is to go and seek help but also how incredibly hard it is to do that especially when you're in the public eye like this so I'm just glad he is where he needs to be and he's getting the care that he needs but you ask him important questions about the latest and about the timeline here I did speak to a close senior aide of his last night and he said that we're looking at not days but also not months so most likely weeks that senator Federmann will be in inpatient care again likely a few weeks that he'll be in inpatient care for clinical depression according to this aid the doctors are trying different medications it'll take some time to ramp up the dosages he'll need time for you know observation and any adjustments that that he needs the aide also tells me that that both the staff and Federmann himself were surprised by the severity of the depression by this onset you know there was a feeling internally according to the aid that after this hard fought victory after the midterms you'd have some time to you know rest to recover before being sworn in but you know depression just doesn't follow that kind of timeline and the aide says for for those around him that it's been sort of difficult to distinguish the symptoms of the stroke from symptoms of depression saying that sometimes you know it's hard to know if he's not hearing you or if he's just sort of being crippled by depression and social anxiety and so there's a sense of relief on the team that they're now able to sort of address this this depression issue that's been so complicated in the context of the stroke and everything else that's that's been going on with the senator so you mentioned the hospital visit last week I was told by the aid that the doctors there recommended that he seek outpatient care for mental health and then on Monday he saw Dr. Moynihan who told him that he needs inpatient care that this is severe enough that he should take some time to take care of himself checked himself in and now like I said we're looking at likely a few weeks and just a little bit more context that the aide told me based on some of those conversations just describe the challenges with adjusting to this new reality post stroke and you know we saw that even in our interview back in October that are been telling us that everything had changed after the stroke conversations with this family with his staff you can imagine how difficult that can be.

Joe Scarborough, Mika Brezinski, Willie Geist