Jackson faces long road, visitor says

CHICAGO - Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is in a "deep" depression and has "a lot of work" ahead of him on the road to recovery, former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D., R.I.) said Thursday after visiting the hospitalized Illinois Democrat.

Jackson has been on medical leave since June 10, when family members said he collapsed at their home in Washington. He is currently being treated for bipolar disorder at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. But neither his office nor family members have said much about his medical condition.

The visit from Kennedy - who has suffered with bipolar disorder and has been treated at Mayo - gave one of the first outside glimpses of Jackson's health.

"I don't think people understand the depth of his depression. It's deep. He has a lot of work to continue to do to be able to learn how to treat this illness in the most effective way possible," Kennedy told the Associated Press. "Depression is a serious thing, and I'm glad that he's taking it seriously."

Kennedy also suggested Jackson was initially reluctant to receive help for his illness.

Jackson's spokesman declined to comment Thursday, and it's uncertain when the congressman can return to work. Last week, one of his aides said Jackson could be expected back at work in weeks. But after the Mayo Clinic released a detailed diagnosis of his health, his spokesman declined to comment. Jackson's father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, also has declined to speak on the topic. Messages left Thursday for the younger Jackson's wife, Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, were not returned.

Kennedy, who served with Jackson on the House Appropriations Committee, left Congress last year. He has been an outspoken advocate for mental health and has spoken publicly about his own struggles.

He has said he and Jackson have similarities: They both come from famous families and have suffered from the same disorder.

"It was clear we both had the same feelings of dejection and self-doubt and being in a situation where we thought we had let people down and let ourselves down," Kennedy said. "It's going to take him some time to heal."

The congressman's office has said little about Jackson's absence aside from short e-mailed statements. His office remains open for constituent services, and his aides have continued communication with officials in his district.

His office initially described the condition - two weeks after he went on leave - as exhaustion. Later, it was referred to as a "mood disorder." Jackson, 47, spent time at the Sierra Tucson Treatment Center in Arizona before his office announced late last month that he was transferred to Mayo.