III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 831 

Designating October 10, 2022, as ‘‘World Mental Health Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2022 

Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. CASSIDY) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating October 10, 2022, as ‘‘World Mental Health 

Day’’. 

Whereas mental health and psychosocial support services with 

an emphasis on systems strengthening and sound investment to ensure availability, quality, and access to services 

that meet the needs of children, adolescents, and adults 

are priorities for the global community; 

Whereas the World Federation for Mental Health identifies 

a different theme each year for World Mental Health 

Day, and the 2022 theme is ‘‘Make Mental Health & 

Well-Being for All a Global Priority’’; 

Whereas the World Health Organization identified that, in 

2019, 1 in 8 individuals worldwide, or 970,000,000 individuals, were living with a mental health disorder, with 

anxiety and depressive disorders most common; 


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•SRES 831 IS 

Whereas, in the first year of the COVID–19 pandemic, global 

prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25 percent, according to a scientific brief released by 

the World Health Organization; 

Whereas children and adolescents especially need support, 

due to the impact the COVID–19 pandemic has had on 

individuals and families worldwide; 

Whereas, 2 years into the COVID–19 pandemic, the social 

and economic devastation is weighing most heavily on 

children, particularly in the poorest and most 

marginalized communities; 

Whereas children experience the greatest burden of the secondary impacts of the COVID–19 pandemic, due to increased poverty, interrupted education, increased risks of 

abuse and exploitation, and weakened health systems; 

Whereas it is estimated that 100,000,000 additional children 

are now living in poverty because of the COVID–19 pandemic alone, which is a 10 percent increase since 2019, 

at least 2⁄3 of households with children have lost income 

since 2020, and 3⁄4 of households with 3 or more children 

have experienced a drop in earnings since 2020; 

Whereas experts from organizations like the United Nations 

Children’s Fund estimate it will take not less than 7 or 

8 years to return to pre-COVID child poverty levels; 

Whereas an estimated 6,700,000 children have suffered from 

the loss of a mother, father, or other primary caregiver 

due to COVID–19 during the past 2 years; 

Whereas more than 616,000,000 children are still affected by 

full or partial school closures, and education disruptions 

in low- and middle-income countries have left up to 70 

percent of 10-year-olds unable to read; 


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•SRES 831 IS 

Whereas, as a result of the COVID–19 pandemic, shuttered 

schools, lockdowns, and disruptions to services that protect girls mean that in the next decade it is estimated— 

(1) an additional 2,000,000 girls may suffer from female genital mutilation; and 

(2) an additional 10,000,000 child marriages may 

occur; 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic spurred a 50 percent increase in internet use among children aged 6 to 12 in the 

United States alone, which has led to a rapid increase in 

the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children; 

Whereas the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received nearly 22,000,000 reports to its 

CyberTipline in 2020, a 28 percent increase from 2019; 

Whereas mental health conditions affect more than 13 percent of adolescents aged 10 to 19 worldwide, and by October 2020, the COVID–19 pandemic had disrupted or 

halted critical mental health services in 93 percent of 

countries globally; 

Whereas an additional 9,000,000 children are at risk of being 

pushed into child labor by the end of 2022 as a result 

of the COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas an additional 9,000,000 children could suffer from 

wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, 

due to the impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on the 

diets of children, nutrition services, and feeding practices; 

Whereas parent and caregiver mental health and well-being 

is a key to thriving families, and supporting children’s 

mental health means supporting their families and caregivers as well; 


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•SRES 831 IS 

Whereas acting early to support children and caregivers is 

the preferred investment for governments to promote 

good mental health, prevent poor mental health, and respond to the complex mental health issues facing children 

and families; 

Whereas governments and societies should prioritize investing 

in promoting, protecting, and caring for the mental 

health of children and their caregivers; and 

Whereas, to combat the dangerous decline in mental health 

described in this preamble, the United States can and 

should lead by example: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates October 10, 2022 as ‘‘World 

3 Mental Health Day’’; 

4 (2) recognizes that mental health and psycho5 social support are priorities in addressing the holis6 tic needs of children, youth, and families; 

7 (3) recognizes that children and adolescents 

8 have faced increased risk of diminished economic 

9 standing, education, and physical and mental health, 

10 especially in developing countries; and 

11 (4) recognizes that interagency coordination 

12 and collaboration are essential to ensuring the well13 being of children and their ability to develop, sur14 vive, and thrive during and after the COVID–19 

15 pandemic. 

Æ 


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