Depression in the news
Shouldn't we pursue this teachable moment?
In a public statement on 30 June 2026, Thomas H. Kean, Jr., a representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, revealed that he has been suffering from depression. With his announcement that he was diagnosed and treated for depression, US Representative Kean increased the public awareness of this disorder and, I hope that his disclosure will help bring light to the disabling features of the disorder.
I thank Representative Keen for making public his depression. Given the misunderstanding and stigma associated with depression, it is valuable to have him provide insights into his personal situation.
In his statement, Represrentative Kean expressed important ideas about depression that merit recognition and discussion (See a video of Mr. Kean’s statement in the link nearer the end of this note.) He explained that depression is not only feeling sad; it is much more. He asserted that, as readers of Special Education Today know, depression affects not only the individual with the disability, but also those close to the individual who is depressed and many others in his or her family and community.
The news story provides a teachable moment for we special educators. Depression is not a minor problem, and even though Mr. Kean did not mention it and it is getting little play in the press, there are lots of children and youth with depression around Earth. Epidemiological research (Bruha et al., 2018; Liu et al., 2024) indicated that approximately 2–5% of younger children and 5–8% of adolescents worldwide have a depressive disorder.
In the US, less than 1% of children and youth are identified as needing special education because of emotional or behavioral disorders. Of course, not all students with depression would need special education, but there is still a large gap between the prevalence of depression and the provision of services. There must be a helluva lot of false negatives walking the halls of US schools. Those of us concerned about kids with disabilities and special education should be building public awareness of these students needs.
The press
Under the headline, “Tom Kean Says Depression Led to Long Absence From Congress: After months of mystery, the New Jersey representative broke his silence about the undisclosed health issue that prompted his 117-day absence,” Anne Karn published an article on 30 June 2026 about Representative Kean’s revelation of his depression
Chris Stein of The Guardian wrote the following on 30 June 2026: Republican returns to US House after months of absence over ‘depression’: New Jersey’s Tom Kean Jr, who last voted in March, says he was diagnosed with depression after entering hospital
Resources
Some governments support agencies that may not provide direct services, but do help people in need connect with services. There are also national non-profits organizations. Here are a few examples,
The UK mental health charities for children and young people
Portugal’s Depression Understood and Foundation Gulbenkian
The US Children’s Mental Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness
India’s India Mental Health Alliance and Snehi
Spain’s Confederacíon Salud Mental España and Fundación ANAR
This list is obvious not exhaustive and inconsistent, but it provides starting places. If Dear Readers know of excellent and trustworthy. sources, please mention them in the comments.
References
Bruha, L., Spyridou, V., Forth, G., & Ougrin, D. (2018). Global child and adolescent mental health: challenges and advances. London Journal of Primary Care, 10(4), 108-109.
Lu, B., Lin, L., & Su, X. (2024). Global burden of depression or depressive symptoms in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 354, 553-562. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40770320/