IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 277 

Expressing support for designation of April 2017 as National Stress 

Awareness Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 25, 2017 

Mr. CA ́RDENAS (for himself, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. KELLY

of Illinois, Ms. LEE, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. RYAN

of Ohio, Mr. VARGAS, and Mr. WALZ) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of April 2017 as National 

Stress Awareness Month. 

Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental 

Health, and Health Resource Network have declared the 

month of April 2017 as National Stress Awareness 

Month; 

Whereas three-fourths of employees believe the worker has 

more on-the-job stress than a generation ago; 

Whereas stress can be brought about by a sudden negative 

change such as losing a job, divorce, illness, or traumatic 

event in which one may be seriously hurt or in danger 

of being killed; 


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•HRES 277 IH 

Whereas the Secretary of Veterans Affairs reports that of 

veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom, 

Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn who 

are receiving health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 570,000 have received a diagnosis for at least 1 mental health disorder; 

Whereas a recent survey by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at UCLA, found that incoming students 

in 2014 possessed the lowest self-rated emotional health 

in 49 years since the survey began; 

Whereas the physical effects of stress can start out as a simple headache or digestive problem, evidence gathered by 

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds 

that it can escalate to serious cardiovascular disease and 

musculoskeletal disorders; 

Whereas research shows that long-term exposure to stress 

creates an imbalance in grey and white matter in the 

brain, leading to decreased cognitive function; 

Whereas among workers who report higher levels of stress, on 

average they miss 20 days of work and necessitate 50- 

percent higher health care costs compared with other 

workers; 

Whereas separate studies done through UCLA and the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, and the 

University of Oregon have showed that 12 minutes a day 

of meditation can have strong positive effects on reducing 

stress and lowering cortisol levels that affect memory 

function; 

Whereas a survey done by the American Psychological Association found that more than half of people say it is very 

important to manage stress yet less than 37 percent 


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proactively attempt to manage it through eating healthy 

or being physically active; 

Whereas eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can help reduce 

stress and benefit both one’s personal environment and 

the broader global environment; 

Whereas it is important to take time for oneself through exercise, meditation, and proper rest, in order to reduce 

stress; and 

Whereas the month of April 2017 has been declared as National Stress Awareness Month by numerous groups: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of National Stress 

3 Awareness Month; 

4 (2) supports the goals and ideas of National 

5 Stress Awareness Month; 

6 (3) honors and recognizes the efforts made by 

7 the Department of Health and Human Services to 

8 educate people in the United States about the 

9 causes, symptoms, and treatment of stress; and 

10 (4) encourages the people of the United States 

11 to observe National Stress Awareness Month by tak12 ing the opportunity to learn about and implement 

13 positive stress reduction methods. 

Æ 


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