Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. being treated for ‘mood disorder,’ office says

Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) is at an undisclosed facility receiving medical treatment for a mood disorder, his aides said Wednesday after days of speculation about his whereabouts.

Citing federal medical privacy laws, Jackson’s office said late Wednesday that it would not release specific details about the congressman’s condition or location. But a statement from the office citing an unnamed physician said Jackson, 47, “is receiving intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for a mood disorder. He is responding positively to treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.”

Jackson’s office disputed rumors about his condition and a report by NBC News that cited friends who said Jackson is being treated for alcohol- and addiction-related problems at a facility in Arizona.

The disclosure came on the same day that House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (Md.) became the most senior House Democrat to appeal to Jackson for more information. Hoyer told reporters that Jackson and his family “would be well advised” to tell constituents about his medical condition and lengthy absence. The statement echoed sentiments expressed in recent days by Jackson’s Illinois congressional colleagues.

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