IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 244 
Expressing support for the designation of May 2015 as ‘‘Mental Health 
Month’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 1, 2015 
Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania (for himself, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. TONKO, Mrs. 
NAPOLITANO, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 
Mr. LOEBSACK, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. FARR, 
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Ms. ESTY, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. KILMER, 
Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. KATKO, 
and Mr. NUGENT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the designation of May 2015 as 
‘‘Mental Health 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 illness and behavioral health 
disorders can and do recover utilizing treatment regi-
mens, including psychosocial therapies, peer support, and 
clinical help, as well as other behavioral, psychiatric, psy-
chological, faith-based and pastoral care, and medical 
services; 
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•HRES 244 IH 
Whereas parents, families, and caregivers are allies in recov-
ery and serve as critical members of the care delivery 
team; 
Whereas advances in brain and behavioral research show sig-
nificant promise for continued improvements in effective 
treatments of mental illness; 
Whereas 43,700,000 adults in the United States experience 
mental illness; 
Whereas approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents has 
a diagnosable mental disorder; 
Whereas 9,600,000 adults in the United States experience 
conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and 
major depression; 
Whereas 3,600,000 adults in the United States with a diag-
nosis of serious mental illness do not receive treatment; 
Whereas post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts 7 to 
20 percent of service members and veterans of the wars 
in Afghanistan and Iraq; 
Whereas roughly 20 to 50 percent of all prison and jail in-
mates are diagnosed with a mental illness and United 
States prisons are home to 10 times more people with 
mental illness than psychiatric hospitals; 
Whereas mental illness is the leading cause of disability in 
the Nation; 
Whereas untreated mental illness is a leading cause of absen-
teeism and lost productivity in the workplace and costs 
the United States economy over $193,000,000,000 per 
year in lost earnings; 
Whereas suicide is the second leading cause of death among 
individuals between the ages of 25 and 34; 
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•HRES 244 IH 
Whereas 1 in 4 Latino adolescents report contemplating sui-
cide, a rate higher than any other demographic; 
Whereas Native Americans currently rank as the top eth-
nicity for suicide rates nationwide; 
Whereas studies report that people with serious mental illness 
die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general popu-
lation; 
Whereas those with mental illness are 3 to 4 times more like-
ly to be the victims of crime and abuse; 
Whereas lack of awareness of one’s mental illness, known as 
anosognosia, affects approximately 50 percent of individ-
uals with schizophrenia and 40 percent of individuals 
with bipolar disorder making it more challenging to re-
ceive care; 
Whereas the delay between a first episode of psychosis and 
onset of treatment is an average of 70 weeks; 
Whereas stigma associated with mental illness continues 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 provides a vital link in minis-
tering and serving individuals and families in need of 
mental health services; 
Whereas individuals engaged in peer recovery support serv-
ices utilize crisis and emergency services less; and 
Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2015 as 
‘‘Mental Health Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 244 IH 
(1) supports the designation of ‘‘Mental Health 
Month’’ to remove the stigma associated with mental 
illness and place emphasis on scientific findings re-
garding mental health recovery; 
(2) recognizes mental well-being is equally as 
important as physical well-being for citizens, commu-
nities, businesses, and the economy in the United 
States; 
(3) applauds the coalescing of national, commu-
nity, medical, and faith-based organizations in work-
ing to promote public awareness of mental health 
and providing critical information and support to the 
people and families affected by mental illness; 
(4) supports the finding of the President’s 
Commission on Mental Health that the Nation’s fail-
ure to prioritize mental health is a national tragedy; 
and 
(5) encourages all to draw on ‘‘Mental Health 
Month’’ as an opportunity to promote mental well- 
being and awareness, ensure access to appropriate 
services, and support overall quality of life for those 
living with mental illness. 
Æ 
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