Title: A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 2022 as "Mental Health Awareness Month".
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution supports the designation of May 2022 as Mental Health Awareness Month and declares mental health a national priority.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 662 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 662

 Expressing support for the designation of May 2022 as ``Mental Health 
                           Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 7, 2022

  Mr. Lujan (for himself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Stabenow, and Mr. Daines) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing support for the designation of May 2022 as ``Mental Health 
                           Awareness Month''.

Whereas the COVID-19 public health emergency has taken a toll on the mental 
        well-being of the people of the United States and understandably has 
        been stressful for many of those people;
Whereas, for more than 2 years, the United States has witnessed firsthand how 
        fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and negatively 
        affect mental health in both adults and children;
Whereas, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, before the COVID-
        19 pandemic, nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States lived with a 
        mental illness;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred 
        to in this preamble as the ``CDC''), before the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 
        1 in 5 children who were 3 to 17 years of age reported a mental, 
        emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder;
Whereas, according to the CDC, the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with 
        mental health challenges;
Whereas the ``Stress in America 2021: Stress and Decision-Making during the 
        Pandemic'' poll found that--

    (1) 32 percent of adults, including 48 percent of Millennials, have so 
much stress about the COVID-19 pandemic that they struggle to make basic 
decisions, such as what to wear or what to eat;

    (2) 59 percent of adults experienced behavior changes as a result of 
stress in the past month; and

    (3) 63 percent of adults agreed that uncertainty about what the next 
few months would be like caused stress for those individuals;

Whereas the April 2, 2021, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that, 
        during the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of adults with symptoms of 
        an anxiety or a depressive disorder during the 7 days preceding the 
        study rose from 36.4 percent in August 2020 to 41.5 percent in February 
        2021;
Whereas a Household Pulse Survey in December 2021 found that 30.7 percent of 
        adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, which is up 
        from 11 percent in 2019, and, among those adults, 27.8 percent reported 
        an unmet need for counseling or therapy;
Whereas, according to the CDC, nearly 1 in 6 children has a mental, behavioral, 
        or developmental disorder, such as anxiety or depression, attention-
        deficit/hyperactivity disorder (commonly referred to as ``ADHD''), 
        autism spectrum disorder (commonly referred to as ``ASD''), disruptive 
        behavior disorder, or Tourette syndrome;
Whereas, according to data collected by the CDC in 2021, 37 percent of high 
        school students reported that they experienced poor mental health during 
        the COVID-19 pandemic, and 44 percent of those students reported they 
        persistently felt sad or hopeless;
Whereas, according to the CDC, mental health disorders are chronic conditions, 
        and, without proper diagnosis and treatment with respect to those 
        disorders, children can face problems at home, in school, and with their 
        development;
Whereas, according to the CDC, children with mental, emotional, or behavioral 
        disorders benefit from early diagnosis and treatment;
Whereas the Federal Government supports a variety of programs aimed at providing 
        behavioral and mental health resources to children and youth;
Whereas, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, 50 percent of all 
        lifetime cases of mental illness begin by 14 years of age, 75 percent of 
        those illnesses begin by 24 years of age, and 20 percent of youth 
        between 13 and 18 years of age live with a mental health condition;
Whereas an August 2021 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that the 
        prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms during COVID-19 has 
        doubled from pre-pandemic rates;
Whereas, in December 2021, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, Dr. 
        Vivek Murthy, issued a new Surgeon General's Advisory--

    (1) to highlight the urgent need for families, educators and schools, 
community organizations, media and technology companies, and governments to 
address the worsening youth mental health crisis in the United States; and

    (2) that noted that--

    G    (A) youth mental health challenges have been on the rise, even 
before the COVID-19 pandemic; and

    G    (B) from 2007 to 2018, the suicide rate among youth between 10 and 
24 years of age increased by 57 percent;

Whereas Imperial College London estimates that more than 214,000 children in the 
        United States have lost a parent or primary caregiver to COVID-19, which 
        continues to raise concerns about the emotional well-being of children;
Whereas, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration's 
        Behavioral Health Workforce Projections, many areas of the United States 
        are currently experiencing a shortage of behavioral health care 
        providers, particularly those with experience in treating children and 
        adolescents;
Whereas a July 2021 survey by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing found 
        that, during the 12-month period preceding the study--

    (1) 49 percent of LGBTQ+ adults experienced more stress and mental 
health challenges, but only 41 percent said they received treatment or care 
of any kind for their mental health;

    (2) 46 percent of Black adults experienced more stress and mental 
health challenges, but only 21 percent said they received treatment or care 
of any kind for their mental health;

    (3) 45 percent of Native American adults experienced more stress and 
mental health challenges, but only 24 percent received treatment or care of 
any kind for their mental health;

    (4) 42 percent of Hispanic adults experienced more stress and mental 
health challenges, but only 26 percent said they received treatment or care 
of any kind for their mental health;

    (5) 40 percent of Asian adults experienced more stress and mental 
health challenges, but only 11 percent said they received treatment or care 
of any kind for their mental health; and

    (6) 47 percent of all adults surveyed stated that the cost of help or 
treatment was an obstacle in seeking treatment for their mental health;

Whereas the number of adults reporting suicidal ideation in 2021 increased by 
        664,000 when compared with the 2020 dataset;
Whereas the 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report stated that 
        veterans--

    (1) account for 13.7 percent of suicides among United States adults; 
and

    (2) have a 52.3 percent greater rate of suicide than the non-veteran 
United States population;

Whereas individuals between 10 and 24 years of age account for 14 percent of all 
        suicides;
Whereas suicide is the ninth leading cause of death for adults between 35 and 64 
        years of age, and adults between 35 and 64 years of age account for 47.2 
        percent of all suicides in the United States;
Whereas, in 2021, adults with disabilities were 3 times more likely to report 
        suicidal ideation, at 30.6 percent in the month preceding the study, 
        compared to individuals without disabilities, at 8.3 percent; and
Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2022 as ``Mental Health Awareness 
        Month'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the designation of May 2022 as ``Mental Health 
        Awareness Month'' to remove the stigma associated with mental 
        illness and place emphasis on scientific findings regarding 
        mental health recovery;
            (2) declares mental health to be a national priority;
            (3) recognizes that mental well-being is as important as 
        physical well-being for citizens, communities, schools, 
        businesses, and the economy in the United States;
            (4) applauds the coalescing of national, State, local, 
        medical, and faith-based organizations in--
                    (A) working to promote public awareness of mental 
                health; and
                    (B) providing critical information and support 
                during the COVID-19 pandemic to individuals and 
                families affected by mental illness; and
            (5) encourages all people of the United States to draw on 
        ``Mental Health Awareness Month'' as an opportunity to promote 
        mental well-being and awareness, ensure access to appropriate 
        coverage and services, and support overall quality of life for 
        those living with mental illness.
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