Thursday, 12 July 2012

Congressman's 'mood disorder' raising questions

FILE - In this May 16, 2011 file photo, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. attends ceremonies for Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel in Chicago. On Wednesday, July 11, 2012, Jackson's staff said they soon could have more information to release about the Chicago Democrat's medical condition. Jackson's been on medical leave for a month, but his location and exact ailment haven't been disclosed. Initially, staff said he was being treated for exhaustion. But last week they said his condition was worse than previously thought and required inpatient treatment. They also disclosed Jackson has been battling emotional problems. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

FILE - In this May 16, 2011 file photo, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. attends ceremonies for Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel in Chicago. On Wednesday, July 11, 2012, Jackson's staff said they soon could have more information to release about the Chicago Democrat's medical condition. Jackson's been on medical leave for a month, but his location and exact ailment haven't been disclosed. Initially, staff said he was being treated for exhaustion. But last week they said his condition was worse than previously thought and required inpatient treatment. They also disclosed Jackson has been battling emotional problems. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

FILE - In this March 20, 2012 file photo, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill. speaks in Chicago. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says she expects Jackson to explain his weeks-long leave of absence after he has had an evaluation of his evaluation of his medical condition. Pelosi indicated that she had not spoken to the Illinois Democrat. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)

CHICAGO (AP) ? U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s disclosure that he is suffering from a "mood disorder" still leaves many questions about his secretive medical leave and whether the the son of the prominent civil rights leader has satisfied mounting calls to be more open about his monthlong absence.

Just hours after Democratic leaders in Congress ratcheted up pressure on Jackson to reveal more information, his office released a brief statement from his doctor on Wednesday saying the Chicago Democrat was receiving "intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for a mood disorder."

But it offered no details about Jackson's whereabouts or even the name of the doctor, citing federal privacy laws.

Several experts said that based on the doctor's use of the term "mood disorder," they believed Jackson might be suffering from depression. But the statement did not elaborate on his condition and rejected claims that the 47-year-old congressman was being treated for "alcohol or substance abuse."

When Jackson's medical leave was first announced ? two weeks after it began on June 10 ? his office said he was being treated for exhaustion. Last week his staff said his condition was worse than previously thought and required inpatient treatment, saying Jackson had been privately battling emotional problems. The office has remained mum on details.

The timing of the leave has invited scrutiny, coming as Jackson faces an ethics investigation in the U.S. House connected to imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Days before Jackson's office announced his leave, a fundraiser and family friend also involved in the probe was arrested and charged with unrelated medical fraud charges.

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Associated Press writers Donna Cassata in Washington and Jason Keyser in Chicago contributed to this report.

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Follow Sophia Tareen at http://twitter.com/sophiatareen

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-07-12-Jackson-Leave%20of%20Absence/id-ba8334fcb2cb4fd9ad38a4d62e741a73

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