III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 193 

Supporting the designation of the week of May 2, 2021, as ‘‘Children’s 

Mental Health Awareness Week’’ and the day of May 9, 2021, as 

‘‘Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 29, 2021 

Mr. KING (for himself, Mr. CORNYN, Ms. SMITH, and Ms. HASSAN) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the designation of the week of May 2, 2021, 

as ‘‘Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week’’ and the 

day of May 9, 2021, as ‘‘Children’s Mental Health 

Awareness Day’’. 

Whereas children in the United States were already experiencing a public health crisis regarding mental and behavioral health before the additional challenges of the 

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic; 

Whereas a 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC) estimated that mental disorders 

affect between 13 and 20 percent of children in a given 

year and cost approximately $247,000,000,000 annually; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 193 IS 

Whereas the National Institute of Mental Health estimates 

that nearly 1⁄2 of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years old will 

experience some form of a mental disorder; 

Whereas, in 2019, over 11 percent of children ages 3 to 17 

years old received treatment or counseling from a mental 

health professional, according to the United States Census Bureau; 

Whereas suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth 

ages 10 to 24 years old, and 90 percent of those individuals have an underlying mental illness; 

Whereas, during the COVID–19 pandemic, increased isolation and collective trauma have led to an increase in demand for mental health services for children, with the 

proportion of mental health-related visits to emergency 

rooms for children increasing from approximately 24 to 

31 percent between 2019 and 2020; 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has also laid bare the inequities in our mental health delivery system for all populations, and such inequities have disproportionately impacted children and adults who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences prior to and during the pandemic; and 

Whereas the stigma of accessing mental and behavioral 

health services persisted before the COVID–19 pandemic, 

and acknowledging this public health crisis and creating 

awareness as early as possible is as important as ever: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the designation of the week of May 

3 2, 2021, as ‘‘Children’s Mental Health Awareness 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 193 IS 

1 Week’’ and the day of May 9, 2021, as ‘‘Children’s 

2 Mental Health Awareness Day’’; 

3 (2) recognizes the importance of connecting 

4 children with appropriate mental and behavioral 

5 health services and supports; 

6 (3) seeks to create awareness regarding the ad7 ditional challenges children and their families have 

8 faced during the COVID–19 pandemic due to isola9 tion from family and peers, exposure to traumas, 

10 and barriers to mental and behavioral health services 

11 and supports; 

12 (4) supports programs and services aimed at 

13 expanding access to care, building resiliency, and ad14 dressing trauma; and 

15 (5) appreciates and extends its gratitude to 

16 family members, friends, educators, mental and be17 havioral health service providers, and others in their 

18 support for children’s mental health and well-being. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS