Hidalgo takes medical leave for clinical depression: 'It is important for me personally and professionally to confront this issue swiftly, so I will be taking temporary leave from the office while I am receiving treatment'

On Aug. 7, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced that she’s taking leave to pursue inpatient care for clinical depression, according to an Aug. 7 Twitter post from her office. The post was shared along with a letter from Hidalgo, a Democrat, addressing the situation.

"I am writing to share with you that I am one of the over 21 million American adults that is suffering from clinical depression. For some time, I have been coping with this challenge, and it was undiagnosed until last month," Hidalgo wrote in a letter attached to the Twitter post. "Based on my doctor’s recommendation, I checked myself into an out of state facility to receive inpatient treatment in late July. It is important for me personally and professionally to confront this issue swiftly, so I will be taking temporary leave from the office while I am receiving treatment. My medical care team and I are hopeful that I will be able to resume my normal schedule by early September. I remain passionate about Harris County and its people and look forward to returning at full strength." 

According to an Aug. 7 press release from Hidalgo’s office, her medical team expressed hope she’ll be able to return to duty early next month. The release said that the 32-year-old Hidalgo, who was first elected to Harris County’s highest post in 2018 and is a little more than six months into her second term, will remain in touch with key county staff and is available to discharge her duties as county judge. The Harris County Commissioners Court’s rules state that in the event the county judge is unavailable to serve, the responsibility falls on the longest-standing member.

Per the release, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis agreed to temporarily take the reins from Hidalgo. The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) has been notified and stands ready to respond to any potential incident or disaster while Hidalgo is absent, the release said.

Hidalgo has emphasized the importance of mental health services since her very first day in office. “Depression and other mental health illnesses are part of the human condition, and mental health illnesses should be treated just like any other health condition,” she says in the letter. “I feel so strongly that we should be open and forthright about mental health issues, which historically have been tarred with stigma that have prevented people from seeking the treatment they need.”