[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2427 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2427

   To require the National Institutes of Mental Health and the Human 
 Resources and Services Administration to award grants to prevent and 
                           treat depression.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 30, 2002

 Mr. Bingaman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the National Institutes of Mental Health and the Human 
 Resources and Services Administration to award grants to prevent and 
                           treat depression.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Preventing Depression in 
Preadolescent and Adolescent Girls and Women Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Depression is a common disabling disorder affecting 
        more than 19,000,000 Americans per year.
            (2) Women are at least twice as likely as men to experience 
        a major depressive episode within a lifetime. Although the risk 
        for recurrence is the same for women and men, women are more 
        likely to have a recurrence, and when they do, it is often at 
        very critical times in their lives, such as new motherhood.
            (3) As with adult women, depression is almost twice as 
        likely to be reported by female adolescents than by male 
        adolescents.
            (4) Depression that begins in childhood and adolescence is 
        likely to continue into adulthood and is associated with 
        substantial morbidity and risk for suicide. However, there is 
        evidence that childhood onset depression does not always 
        continue into adulthood.
            (5) Prospective studies have established that the risk for 
        depression increases for many women during adolescence and have 
        suggested that indicated prevention efforts with high-risk 
        females during adolescence may be a good time to intervene.
            (6) Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young 
        women aged 15 to 24, and more than 9 out of 10 suicides can be 
        linked to depression.
            (7) Although ethnic minority women experience rates of 
        depression comparable to white women, they are at greater risk 
        than white women of having their depression go unrecognized and 
        inadequately treated.
            (8) It is important to note that low income populations are 
        less likely to have their depression recognized and treated, 
        and ethnic minority women disproportionately have incomes below 
        the poverty line.
            (9) Symptom presentation of psychological distress may be 
        influenced by culture. For example, degree of acculturation may 
        be associated with depression rates for Latina and Asian/
        Pacific Islander females.
            (10) Demonstrated by community prevalence rates, the number 
        of women seeking treatment for depression represents only a 
        portion of those who are depressed. Numerous barriers impede 
        women from receiving needed treatment, including lack of 
        consumer or provider knowledge about mental health symptoms and 
        treatment, stigma, limited time and transportation, and issues 
        regarding child and elder care.
            (11) Treatment interventions alone may not be sufficient to 
        reduce the high prevalence of major depression in women. 
        Experts recommend more emphasis on interventions that will 
        prevent the onset of depression.
            (12) Social, cultural, and economic factors influence the 
        prevention, development, diagnosis, and treatment of depression 
        in women and therefore should be examined and integrated in 
        prevention and treatment approaches as indicated.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in 
collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and the Human 
Resources and Services Administration, and other Federal officials 
determined appropriate by the Secretary, may award grants to develop, 
implement, and evaluate interventions to prevent and treat depression 
in preadolescent and adolescent girls and in women at-risk for 
depression in diverse populations.
    (b) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded pursuant to subsection (a) may be 
used to--
            (1) develop cultural and language appropriate brief 
        screening measures or modify existing brief screening measures 
        to assess for depression and other mental health problems for 
        wide-scale use in community settings where the target 
        population is commonly found, including schools, churches, day 
        care centers, primary care and other health settings 
        (Obstetrics/Gynecology and pediatric clinics), and public 
        assistance and housing facilities;
            (2) establish programs to train educational and health 
        professionals who work in community settings to screen the 
        target population for depression and other mental health 
        problems and make appropriate referrals for treatment;
            (3) develop effective strategies to educate the target 
        population about depression, where to seek treatment, and how 
        to reduce the stigma associated with depression to decrease 
        barriers to treatment; and
            (4) develop, implement, and evaluate culturally appropriate 
        strategies to prevent and treat depression in the target 
        population.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for fiscal year 
2003, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 
2004 through 2006.
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