Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo taking leave of absence to receive treatment for clinical depression

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has announced that she is temporarily stepping away from her elected position and has checked herself into an out-of-state inpatient facility where she has been receiving treatment for clinical depression.

The Office of Judge Lina Hidalgo released a statement on Twitter/X, sharing that she had been attempting to cope with this mental health challenge that remained undiagnosed until last month.

Hidalgo stated that she had checked herself into the facility in late July. The judge said that her experience has been difficult but she’s taking this opportunity to encourage others who need help to seek treatment.

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Hidalgo is expected to resume her regular schedule by early September and said that she will remain available in the event of an emergency.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis has agreed to preside over Commissioner Court, and her chief of staff will manage daily operations in her absences.

Clinical depression is a condition that’s on the rise according to Dr. Lokesh Shahani, a psychiatrist with UTHealth Houston.

“I think what we’ve seen is after the COVID-19 pandemic, there was approximately a 30% rise in cases of depression, which, you know, which means a lot because we are dealing with a major mental health crisis in our society. But the good thing, or the silver lining with it is most people are coming out and are open about it,” said Shahani.

He says depression goes beyond just feeling said, and there are signs that you shouldn’t ignore.

“You know, feeling like you’re not able to concentrate at work or at home, aren’t able to sleep or sleeping too much, not able to eat or eating too much, sometimes feeling hopeless and at times having wishes that you were dead or having suicidal thoughts,” said Shahani.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms Dr. Shahani says you should seek help. You can reach out to the suicide and crisis lifeline. Just call or text 988 on any phone.

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