IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 337 

Expressing support for the designation of May 2019 as ‘‘Mental Health 

Awareness Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 1, 2019 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO (for herself, Mr. KATKO, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. GRIJALVA, 

Ms. NORTON, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. CISNEROS, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. MOORE, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New 

York, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. COX of California, Mr. BEYER, Mr. TONKO, 

Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. THOMPSON of 

California, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. HILL of California, Mr. 

LOEBSACK, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. KENDRA S. 

HORN of Oklahoma, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mrs. CRAIG, Ms. ROYBALALLARD, Ms. PORTER, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. STEWART, Mrs. LEE of 

Nevada, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. RUSH, Ms. JUDY

CHU of California, Mr. KILMER, Ms. TITUS, Mr. RYAN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 

and Ms. BROWNLEY of California) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of May 2019 as 

‘‘Mental Health Awareness Month’’. 

Whereas the mental health and well-being of people in the 

United States is a vital issue that affects not only quality 

of life, but also the health of communities, families, and 

economic stability; 

Whereas individuals with mental health conditions and other 

behavioral health disorders can and do recover with clinVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:15 May 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR337.IH HR337

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ical treatment and social supports, including medications, 

psychotherapies, psychosocial rehabilitation, counseling 

services, and peer support; 

Whereas recovery begins with self-directed care, and parents, 

families, and caregivers are allies in recovery and serve 

as critical members of the care delivery team; 

Whereas advances in brain science and behavioral research 

show significant promise for continued improvements in 

effective treatments of mental illness; 

Whereas the increasing diversity of our country underlies 

both the need and importance of accessing culturally and 

linguistically appropriate services; 

Whereas Adverse Childhood Experiences can contribute significantly to negative adult mental health outcomes; 

Whereas approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents has 

a diagnosable mental disorder at any one point in time, 

and 50 percent of all mental disorders begin by age 14, 

and 75 percent by age 24; 

Whereas nearly half of children with a mental health disorder 

did not receive needed treatment or counseling from a 

mental health professional in the past year; 

Whereas the preschool to 12th grade educational system is 

the best environment to nurture healthy social emotional 

skills and identify and intervene early with youth experiencing mental health issues; 

Whereas more mental health school staff and resources 

should be utilized to focus on prevention and early intervention in educational systems to ensure healthy minds; 


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Whereas 65 to 70 percent of youth in contact with the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder; 

Whereas an estimated 44.7 million adults in the United 

States experience mental illness; 

Whereas an estimated 10.4 million adults in the United 

States experience conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression; 

Whereas millions of children, adolescents, and adults in the 

United States with a diagnosis of serious mental illness 

do not receive treatment; 

Whereas 35 percent of young adults, ages 18 to 25, with any 

mental illness and 56 percent of young adults with a serious mental illness report a perceived unmet need for 

mental health services, rates that are higher than any 

other adult age groups; 

Whereas there is a national shortage of trained mental health 

professionals and the California Future Health Workforce Commission has stated that without dramatic policy 

changes, ‘‘California will have 41% fewer psychiatrists 

and 11% fewer psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical counselors, and social workers than it will 

need by 2030’’; 

Whereas the national suicide rate has increased over 30 percent since 1999; 

Whereas every year over 10 million Americans experience suicidal thoughts; 

Whereas annually 1.4 million Americans attempt suicide; 

Whereas 129 Americans die by suicide each day; 


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Whereas nearly 1 million years of potential life are lost to 

suicide before age 65 every year; 

Whereas veterans have a suicide rate 1.5 times higher than 

nonveteran adults; 

Whereas the combined medical and work-loss costs of suicide 

are nearly $70 billion; 

Whereas suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 

individuals between the ages of 10 and 34; 

Whereas 1 in 4 Latina adolescent girls report contemplating 

suicide, a rate higher than any other demographic; 

Whereas Native Americans currently rank as the top ethnicity for suicide rates among young people nationwide; 

Whereas lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth are 

more than four times more likely to attempt suicide than 

their peers, and up to 40 percent of all trans people have 

made a suicide attempt, many before the age of 25; 

Whereas firearms account for more than half of all deaths by 

suicide; 

Whereas post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts 14 

to 24 percent of servicemembers and veterans of the wars 

in Afghanistan and Iraq; 

Whereas roughly 20 to 50 percent of all prison and jail inmates are diagnosed with a mental illness; 

Whereas mental illness is the leading cause of disability in 

the Nation; 

Whereas untreated mental illness is a leading cause of absenteeism and presenteeism resulting in lost earnings and 

productivity in the workplace and costs the United States 

economy over $193 billion per year in lost earnings; 


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Whereas studies report that people with serious mental illness 

die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population; 

Whereas those with mental illness are 11 times more likely 

to be the victims of crime and abuse; 

Whereas the delay between a first episode of psychosis and 

onset of treatment is an average of 74 weeks; 

Whereas stigma, shame, and discrimination associated with 

mental illness continue to persist; 

Whereas recovery-oriented interventions such as supported 

employment, supported housing, and supported education 

have been shown to improve outcomes; 

Whereas the faith community may provide a vital link in ministering and serving individuals and families in need of 

mental health services; 

Whereas individuals connected to peer support services are 

better connected to their community and services and utilize crisis and emergency services less; and 

Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2019 as 

‘‘Mental Health Awareness Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘Mental Health 

3 Awareness Month’’ to remove the stigma associated 

4 with mental illness and place emphasis on scientific 

5 findings regarding mental health recovery; 

6 (2) recognizes mental well-being is equally as 

7 important as physical well-being for citizens, commuVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:15 May 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR337.IH HR337

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1 nities, businesses, and the economy in the United 

2 States; 

3 (3) applauds the coalescing of national, State, 

4 local, medical, and faith-based organizations in 

5 working to promote public awareness of mental 

6 health and providing critical information and sup7 port to the people and families affected by mental 

8 illness; 

9 (4) supports the finding of the President’s 

10 Commission on Mental Health that the Nation’s fail11 ure to prioritize mental health is a national tragedy; 

12 and 

13 (5) encourages all to draw on ‘‘Mental Health 

14 Awareness Month’’ as an opportunity to promote 

15 mental well-being and awareness, ensure access to 

16 appropriate coverage and services, and support over17 all quality of life for those living with mental illness. 

Æ 


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