IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 130 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 25, 2007 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO (for herself and Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month, 

and for other purposes. 

Whereas approximately 57,000,000 Americans are affected 

by mental disorders or illnesses, and this leading cause 

of disability in the United States impacts nearly 1 in 4 

American adults who suffer from diagnosable and treatable disorders each year, including depression among 

those between the ages of 40 and 55 as the leading cause 

of death for women and the second highest cause of 

death for men, disorders impacting 1 in 5 children and 

adolescents, depressive illnesses affecting an estimated 

7,000,000 Americans age 65 or older, mental illnesses 

found in nearly one-third of people who are homeless, and 

mental health disorders affecting more than half of all 

prison and jail inmates (including 56 percent of State 


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•HCON 130 IH 

prisoners, 45 percent of Federal prisoners, 64 percent of 

local jail inmates, and 80 percent of young people entering the juvenile justice system); 

Whereas employers should be aware that mental illness greatly impacts workplace productivity, often leading to increased absenteeism from their workforce that when untreated, mistreated, and ignored costs the United States 

$150,000,000,000 in lost business productivity, with depression alone costing employers more than 

$51,000,000,000 annually in addition to high medical 

and pharmaceutical bills, and totaling over 

$200,000,000,000 in yearly costs nationwide for treating 

mental illnesses in both the private and public sectors; 

Whereas the tragedy of suicide dramatically and alarmingly 

exhibits the gravest threat of mental health disorders and 

illnesses, impacting older Americans who suffer from 

mental illnesses ultimately leading to suicide, disproportionately affecting young Americans as the third leading 

cause of death among people under 24 years old, with 1 

in 4 Latina adolescents—more than any other group of 

teens—reporting serious consideration of suicide, and 

constituting the second leading cause of death among college students in the United States; 

Whereas the Federal Government must do more to prevent 

and treat military service-related mental health disorders 

through increased funding that provides additional 

trained personnel to care for the nearly one third (31 

percent) of veterans who have returned from Iraq and 

Afghanistan between 2001 and 2005 and were diagnosed 

with mental health or psychosocial ills needing treatment 

by the Department of Veterans Affairs, as researchers at 

the University of California, San Francisco, and the San 


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Francisco Veteran Affairs Medical Center found in a 

March 2007 study; 

Whereas of these 31 percent diagnosed with mental health or 

psychosocial problems, a vast majority suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder 

that may lead to depression, substance abuse, memory, 

cognitive, and physical problems, and most unfortunately 

suicide, and without intervention can evolve into a multigenerational condition continuing to affect families long 

after a veteran returns home; 

Whereas the treatment of mental illnesses and delivery of 

mental health services definitively contributes to the magnitude and response towards America’s most alarming 

tragedies, such as the nearly half a million Hurricane 

Katrina survivors still needing mental health services, 

which includes a doubling in phone calls to the suicide 

hotline of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and most recently reflects the exceedingly distressing massacre at Virginia Tech University where deficiencies in mental health treatment are 

known to have been a key contribution to the events of 

April 16, 2007, reminding America of the estimated twothirds of young people with mental health disorders who 

are not aware of services available to them; 

Whereas Federal Government agencies can help save money 

and lives through investment in effective mental health 

programs, while allowing the status quo would result in 

unnecessary economic costs, mental disability, and in 

many cases premature death; and 

Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2007 as 

Mental Health Month: Now, therefore, be it 


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1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Mental 

4 Health Month in order to place emphasis on the ac5 tual facts and the recent scientific literature regard6 ing mental health and thereby remove stigma associ7 ated therewith; 

8 (2) recognizes that mental well-being is equally 

9 as important as physical well-being for our citizens, 

10 for our communities, for our businesses, and for our 

11 country, and must be treated as such with parity to 

12 other illnesses; 

13 (3) applauds the new coalescing of national and 

14 community organizations, and their great work in 

15 promoting public awareness to reduce the stigma of 

16 mental health treatment and providing critical infor17 mation to support the people and families of those 

18 dealing with this crippling illness, which in many 

19 cases can be treated effectively; 

20 (4) supports President Bush’s Commission on 

21 Mental Health and encourages the adequate funding 

22 of its findings released in 2003, recognizing that our 

23 Nation’s failure to prioritize mental health is a na24 tional tragedy; and 


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1 (5) urges all organizations and health practi2 tioners to use this opportunity during Mental Health 

3 Month to promote information to not only reduce 

4 and eliminate stigma, but also focus on mental well5 being awareness, ensure access to appropriate serv6 ices, and support overall quality of life for those liv7 ing with mental illness. 

Æ 


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