[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1134 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1134

        Supporting the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 2008

  Mrs. Napolitano (for herself, Mr. Baca, Mr. Baird, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. 
    Berkley, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Carson, Mr. Costello, Mr. Doyle, Mr. 
   Gonzalez, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Honda, Ms. 
Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Kennedy, 
    Ms. Lee, Mr. Markey, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Ms. McCollum of 
Minnesota, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, 
Mrs. Myrick, Mr. Payne, Mr. Rodriguez, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Rush, Ms. 
Linda T. Sanchez of California, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Ms. 
 Schakowsky, Mr. Stark, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, 
Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Braley of Iowa, Mr. Crenshaw, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Murphy 
of Connecticut, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Sires, Mr. Towns, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Davis 
 of Illinois, Mr. Dreier, Mr. Fortuno, Mr. Hill, Mr. Moore of Kansas, 
Mr. Sherman, and Ms. Watson) submitted the following resolution; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
        Supporting the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month.

Whereas the mental health and well-being of Americans is a critical issue that 
        affects not only the quality of life, but also the health of our 
        communities and our economic stability;
Whereas the stigma associated with mental health persists;
Whereas more than 57,000,000 Americans suffer from a mental illness;
Whereas approximately 1 in 5 children has a diagnosable mental disorder;
Whereas more than 1 in 5 of our troops suffer from major depression or post 
        traumatic stress disorder;
Whereas more than half of all prison and jail inmates suffer from mental 
        illness;
Whereas mental illness is the most common disability in our Nation;
Whereas untreated mental illness costs businesses and the American economy over 
        $150,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas untreated mental illness is a leading cause of absenteeism and lost 
        productivity in the workplace;
Whereas in 2004, over 32,000 individuals committed suicide in the United States, 
        at twice the rate of homicides;
Whereas suicide is the third leading cause of death among people between the 
        ages of 10 and 24;
Whereas in 2004, individuals aged 65 and older made up only 12.4 percent of the 
        population, but accounted for 16 percent of all suicides, and the rate 
        of suicide among older Americans is higher than for any other age group;
Whereas 1 in 4 Latina adolescents report seriously contemplating suicide, a rate 
        higher than any other demographic;
Whereas studies report that persons with serious mental illness die, on average, 
        25 years earlier than the general population; and
Whereas it would be appropriate to designate May 2008 as Mental Health Month: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month in 
        order to emphasize scientific facts and findings regarding 
        mental health and to remove the stigma associated therewith;
            (2) recognizes that mental well-being is equally as 
        important as physical well-being for our citizens, our 
        communities, our businesses, our economy, and our Nation;
            (3) applauds the coalescing of national and community 
        organizations in working 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 findings of the President's Commission on 
        Mental Health that the Nation's failure to prioritize mental 
        health is a national tragedy; and
            (5) encourages all organizations and health practitioners 
        to use 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 with 
        mental illness.
                                 <all>