things that made me happy. reporter: mental illness affects one in five americans every year. but for politicians disclosing a battle with mental illness has long carried political risks. i do. congratulations, senator. reporter: it s why senator john fetterman s announcement in february he was seeking treatment for clinical depression has started to change the conversation. every time somebody like john or me is open about their own experiences with mental illness or mental health challenges, it just breaks down that wall a little bit more about people saying oh, it s possible to be open and honest and not have the whole world come crashing down on you. reporter: it hasn t always been that way. in 1972 thomas eagle-ton dropped off george mcgovern s presidential ticket after it was revealed he d undergone treatment for depression and received electroshock therapy.
or depression, many will shun even those they know, and that s if the illness is made public at all. insurance coverage is not often equitable, many mental health providers refuse the paperwork of participation, leaving people in need to scramble for scarce treatment resources. too many go untreated. maybe john fetterman can change that, perhaps he can become the face of a mental health epidemic from which we are all one degree of separation. 50 years ago senator thomas eagleton was dropped from the democratic ticket after it was revealed that eagleton had been hospitalized for depression, which included electroshock therapy. that would never have happened if eagleton had suffered a physical ailment. fetterman is so high profile in part due to the attention already given to his stroke and his flipping pennsylvania to give the d ems their slim majority, that perhaps he will finally elevate awareness in a watershed way and help our