FILE – Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., walks to a motorcade vehicle after stepping off Air Force One behind President Joe Biden, Feb. 3, 2023, at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. On Thursday, Feb. 16, Fetterman’s office announced that the senator had checked himself into the hospital for clinical depression.(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The office of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman says he has checked himself into the hospital for clinical depression. His public struggle is extraordinary in a building where few talk about their own mental health, but his colleagues have been supportive. John Thune, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, says, “The more open, transparent people can be, the better our understanding is.” The statement Thursday says Fetterman has experienced depression on and off in his life, but it had only become severe in recent weeks. His hospitalization comes after a rough year in which the 53-year-old suffered a stroke just ahead of his May primary election.