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) sub-
mitted 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 treat-
able 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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prisoners, 45 percent of Federal prisoners, 64 percent of 
local jail inmates, and 80 percent of young people enter-
ing the juvenile justice system); 
Whereas employers should be aware that mental illness great-
ly impacts workplace productivity, often leading to in-
creased absenteeism from their workforce that when un-
treated, mistreated, and ignored costs the United States 
$150,000,000,000 in lost business productivity, with de-
pression 
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, dispropor-
tionately 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 col-
lege 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 post- 
traumatic 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 multi- 
generational 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 mag-
nitude 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 Serv-
ices Administration, and most recently reflects the ex-
ceedingly distressing massacre at Virginia Tech Univer-
sity 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 two- 
thirds 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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Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Mental 
Health Month in order to place emphasis on the ac-
tual facts and the recent scientific literature regard-
ing mental health and thereby remove stigma associ-
ated therewith; 
(2) recognizes that mental well-being is equally 
as important as physical well-being for our citizens, 
for our communities, for our businesses, and for our 
country, and must be treated as such with parity to 
other illnesses; 
(3) applauds the new coalescing of national and 
community organizations, and their great work in 
promoting public awareness to reduce the stigma of 
mental health treatment and providing critical infor-
mation to support the people and families of those 
dealing with this crippling illness, which in many 
cases can be treated effectively; 
(4) supports President Bush’s Commission on 
Mental Health and encourages the adequate funding 
of its findings released in 2003, recognizing that our 
Nation’s failure to prioritize mental health is a na-
tional tragedy; and 
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(5) urges all organizations and health practi-
tioners to use this opportunity during Mental Health 
Month to promote information to not only reduce 
and eliminate stigma, but also focus on mental well- 
being awareness, ensure access to appropriate serv-
ices, and support overall quality of life for those liv-
ing with mental illness. 
Æ 
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