Addressing the national crisis of suicide among minority adolescents.

Whereas suicide is a mental health issue that affects individuals and families around the Nation regardless of personal attributes such as race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, nation of birth, economic background, disability, or age; Whereas the World Health Organization defines adolescent Whereas, over the last two decades, self-reported suicide attempts rose nearly 80 percent among Black adolescents, by far the most significant increase of all races and ethnicities; Whereas Black children under 13 are dying by suicide at nearly twice the rate of White children the same age; Whereas the COVID–19 public health emergency has disproportionately affected the mental health of youth who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) due to— (1) Black and Latino adolescents seeing more COVID–19-related infections and deaths in their communities than for their White counterparts; and (2) Black and Latino families suffering from disproportionate economic setbacks that lead to financial stress and instability; Whereas the suicide rate for adolescent Native and Indigenous females is five times higher than their White counterparts; Whereas the American Indian and Alaska Native youth suicide rate is 2.5 times that of the overall national average; Whereas suicide is the leading cause of death for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth aged 12 to 19 years old; Whereas youth of color are up to twice as likely to be exposed to violent crime in their neighborhood of residence than their White counterparts; Whereas exposure to violent crime, and those involving firearms in particular, engenders traumas beyond normal Whereas 19.7 percent of AAPI students in grades 9 to 12 seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year; Whereas youth of color were witness to the renewed national attention and protests against racialized police violence when an unarmed Black man named George Floyd was murdered during the summer of 2020; Whereas racism against the AAPI community has been exacerbated due to xenophobic, harmful rhetoric to describe the origins of the coronavirus pandemic; Whereas repeated experiences of racialized violence and prejudice may lead to racial trauma which can manifest as depression and anxiety; Whereas racial inequities in mental health are a result of historical oppression and discriminatory practices that have deliberately and unjustly targeted marginalized communities; Whereas structural racism has resulted in limited access to health care for BIPOC adolescents; Whereas the lack of cultural understanding and competency by health care providers can cause individuals to delay or forgo care and may contribute to underdiagnosis of mental illness in people from racially and ethnically diverse populations; Whereas BIPOC adolescents are significantly less likely than White youth to receive treatment for their depression overall because of negative perceptions of mental health services and providers within their communities; and Whereas the lack of school resource funding results in a lack of school-based mental health services, especially in schools whose populations are predominately made up of students of color: Now, therefore, be it That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (1) adolescents experiencing mental health concerns, including stress, depression, anxiety, and, among some groups, increased risk for suicide, should have readily available resources to effectively understand and ensure their needs are addressed; (2) no adolescent or student, regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nation of birth, or economic background, should face mental health issues alone; (3) socioeconomic disparities, stigma, and unequitable access to health care resources are all barriers that prevent youth from receiving the help they need; (4) public officials should utilize their respective platforms to increase awareness and culturally competent resources in support of social, emotional, and mental health needs of adolescents, especially in support of students of color and groups more susceptible to risk; (5) ensuring that students of color have school-based mental health services is an essential part in mitigating increased suicide rates; (6) through culturally relevant treatment, suicide prevention efforts must address the lived experiences of youth of color; and (7) Congress should commit to adequately fund existing programs and organizations that are working to close the racial and socioeconomic disparities in mental health.

Summary: This resolution recognizes the mental health concerns faced by adolescents and the need for adequate mental health resources to address those concerns, particularly among minority populations.