[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 33 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. J. RES. 33

Recognizing the efforts of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and the 
 Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services to address the 
   stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2008

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the efforts of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and the 
 Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services to address the 
   stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders.

Whereas May is National Mental Health Month;
Whereas approximately 54,000,000 Americans suffer from mental illnesses and 
        26,000,000 from addictions, with a significant number living with co-
        occurring mental illnesses and addictions;
Whereas more than 2,000,000 Ohioans--nearly 1 in 5--experience some mental 
        illness or emotional disturbance each year;
Whereas 910,000 Ohioans aged 12 and older suffered from alcohol or illicit drug 
        dependence or abuse in 2006;
Whereas fewer than \1/3\ of adults and \1/2\ of children with a diagnosable 
        mental disorder in the United States receive any mental health services 
        in a given year;
Whereas only an estimated 10.8 percent of those with drug or alcohol use 
        disorders in the United States in 2006 received treatment;
Whereas a significant number of Ohioans with addictions in 2006 did not receive 
        treatment, including an estimated 236,000 individuals aged 12 and older 
        with illicit drug addictions and an estimated 695,000 individuals with 
        alcohol use disorders;
Whereas the cost of the consequences of untreated mental illness, including 
        unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, 
        inappropriate incarceration, and suicide is more than $100,000,000,000 
        each year in the United States;
Whereas alcohol and other drug abuse cost Americans more than $500,000,000,000 a 
        year through the combined medical, economic, criminal, and social impact 
        on communities;
Whereas the Surgeon General reports that mental health and substance use 
        disorders combined account for more than \1/5\ of all lost days of 
        productive life, exceeding the burden of cardiovascular disease and 
        cancer;
Whereas the indirect costs to Ohio of untreated mental illness total more than 
        $3,500,000,000 a year;
Whereas between 70 and 90 percent of individuals with mental disorders have 
        significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life through 
        treatment;
Whereas drug treatment is proven to cut drug use in half, reduce crime by 80 
        percent, and reduce arrests by 64 percent;
Whereas for every dollar spent on prevention in Ohio, there is an economic 
        savings of $7 in reduced crime, child abuse and neglect, homelessness, 
        and lost productivity;
Whereas the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 
        finds that stigma is a barrier that discourages individuals and their 
        families from getting help;
Whereas stigma can result in inadequate insurance coverage for mental health and 
        substance use disorder services;
Whereas stigma may lead to fear and mistrust toward people living with mental 
        illness or substance use disorders and their families;
Whereas stigma may cause families and friends to turn their backs on people with 
        mental illness or substance use disorders;
Whereas SAMHSA finds that many people would rather tell employers that they 
        committed a petty crime and served time in jail than admit to spending 
        time in a psychiatric hospital;
Whereas the Surgeon General finds that stigma must no longer be tolerated if we 
        are to reduce the burden of mental illness, improve access to care, and 
        achieve urgently needed knowledge about the brain, mind, and behavior;
Whereas the American Medical Association, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 
        and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Addiction concur--
        addiction is a chemical change in the brain; and
Whereas treatment can work, people can recover, and Americans are well worth the 
        investment: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress--
            (1) recognizes that stigma fosters discrimination against 
        individuals with mental health and substance use disorders and 
        discourages individuals with mental health and substance use 
        disorders from seeking treatment;
            (2) encourages efforts to increase awareness of the 
        existence and impact of stigma on individuals with mental 
        health and substance use disorders;
            (3) recognizes the efforts of the Ohio Department of Mental 
        Health and the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction 
        Services to decrease stigma through the ``Think Outside the 
        Stigma'' campaign; and
            (4) encourages each and every American to work toward 
        overcoming the stigma associated with mental illness and 
        substance use disorders.
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