Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s name for necessary psychological competency assessments for politicians over 75 appeared like a direct problem to President Joe Biden, who’s 80. However she might have been referring to the opposite introduced candidate within the race: former President Donald Trump, who’s 76. Or different excessive rating leaders over the age of 75 – Senators Mitch McConnell and Bernie Sanders, each 81. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is 89, however the oldest sitting member of Congress, by a number of months, is Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, additionally 89. She has introduced that she is not going to run for re-election subsequent yr, nonetheless her time period doesn’t finish till January 2025.

On the heels of Haley’s announcement, Democratic Senator John Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed Nationwide Army Medical Heart to hunt therapy for scientific despair, a situation usually related to restoration from a stroke, which he skilled final Could.

Whereas Fetterman’s case differs from age-related cognitive decline, each points increase questions on how a lot the general public has the fitting to find out about a public determine’s psychological well being, and whether or not acknowledging these quite common, very human situations alleviates stigma or simply reinforces it.

Host Michel Martin talks to former Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy about how his resolution to talk publicly about his personal points with psychological well being.

We additionally hear from Matthew Rozsa, who writes about well being and science for Salon, on the steadiness and limits for media and medical occupation in commenting on psychological health of politicians.

In collaborating areas, you may additionally hear an area information phase that will help you make sense of what is going on on in your neighborhood.

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This episode was produced by Marc Rivers. It was edited by Jeanette Woods. Our government producer is Miranda Kennedy.