IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1242 

Prioritizing mental health to the same degree as physical health to address 

the epidemics of suicide and drug overdose in the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 17, 2024 

Mr. THANEDAR (for himself, Ms. JACKSON LEE, and Mr. SOTO) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Prioritizing mental health to the same degree as physical 

health to address the epidemics of suicide and drug overdose in the United States. 

Whereas mental health and physical health are inseparable; 

Whereas mental health conditions require the same degree of 

attention as physical health conditions; 

Whereas mental health and substance use parity requirements for health insurance plans must be firmly enforced; 

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention in 2022, 49,476 Americans lost their lives to 

suicide, and a reported 105,384 Americans lost their lives 

to drug overdoses in 2023; 


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•HRES 1242 IH 

Whereas, according to the World Health Organization, mental health and many common mental disorders are significantly shaped by the social, economic, and physical 

environments in which people live; 

Whereas social vulnerability, a metric that quantifies the impact of the social determinants of health on county-level 

populations, is directly associated with risk for adult suicide; 

Whereas, according to research published in Addictive Behaviors Reports, adults with a history of Adverse Childhood 

Experiences (ACEs) have a 4.3-fold higher likelihood of 

developing a substance use disorder; 

Whereas cultural stigma against mental health disorders is 

an especially notable social determinant of mental health; 

Whereas there is a growing body of research on the association between mental health stigma and suicidal actions, 

but more research must be done to identify a causal relationship; 

Whereas cultural stigma against mental illness can lead individuals to engage in self-medicative practices, such as illicit drug use, instead of seeking out professional assistance; 

Whereas, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), among 

adults aged 18 or older in 2021, those with serious mental illness (SMI) or any mental illness (AMI) were more 

likely than those without mental illness to have used illicit drugs in the past year (50.2 percent for SMI and 

39.7 percent for AMI verses 17.7 percent for adults aged 

18 or older with no mental illness); 


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•HRES 1242 IH 

Whereas, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 33.5 percent of United States adults with mental 

illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2021, 

which is over, 19,400,000 individuals; 

Whereas, according to a 2022 literature review of 38 studies 

on mental health and opioid overdose, nearly all reviewed 

studies found a connection between mental disorder and 

overdose; 

Whereas, to prevent the perpetuation of this dangerous cycle, 

mental health education and awareness must begin from 

an early age, and school-based mental health resources 

must be better utilized and better funded to achieve this 

goal; 

Whereas 1 in 5 children living in the United States experience a mental disorders every year, and an estimated 

49.5 percent of adolescents had experienced a mental 

health disorder; and 

Whereas mental illness stigma, and specifically self-stigma, is 

a significant barrier to mental health services for adolescents and adults that must be addressed: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses support for parity between insur3 ance coverage of mental health and physical health 

4 treatment, including full enforcement of existing 

5 Federal laws concerning mental health parity; 

6 (2) works to extinguish mental health stigmas 

7 in the United States; 


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•HRES 1242 IH 

1 (3) supports the 2024 National Strategy for 

2 Suicide Prevention; 

3 (4) seeks to provide as many resources and 

4 funds as possible to combat the epidemics of suicide 

5 and drug overdose by— 

6 (A) promoting Federal, State, Tribal, and 

7 local initiatives to retain and expand the mental 

8 health workforce; 

9 (B) supporting access to and coverage of 

10 medication-assisted treatment; 

11 (C) adopting evidence-based suicide pre12 vention strategies; 

13 (D) funding linguistically, culturally, and 

14 age appropriate services; 

15 (E) improving quality, coverage, and acces16 sibility of crisis care service; and 

17 (F) highlighting health promotion cam18 paigns that utilize digital media to target ado19 lescents and young adults. 

Æ 


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