[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 649 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 649

    Designating September 18, 2008, as ``National Attention Deficit 
                       Disorder Awareness Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 1, 2008

   Ms. Cantwell (for herself and Mr. Smith) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

                           September 8, 2008

             Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Designating September 18, 2008, as ``National Attention Deficit 
                       Disorder Awareness Day''.

Whereas Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (also known as ADHD or ADD), is 
        a chronic neurobiological disorder that affects both children and 
        adults, and can significantly interfere with the ability of an 
        individual to regulate activity level, inhibit behavior, and attend to 
        tasks in developmentally-appropriate ways;
Whereas ADHD can cause devastating consequences, including failure in school and 
        the workplace, antisocial behavior, encounters with the criminal justice 
        system, interpersonal difficulties, and substance abuse;
Whereas ADHD, the most extensively studied mental disorder in children, affects 
        an estimated 3 to 7 percent (4,000,000) of young school-age children and 
        an estimated 4 percent (8,000,000) of adults across racial, ethnic, and 
        socio-economic lines;
Whereas scientific studies indicate that between 10 and 35 percent of children 
        with ADHD have a first-degree relative with past or present ADHD, and 
        that approximately \1/2\ of parents who had ADHD have a child with the 
        disorder, suggesting that ADHD runs in families and inheritance is an 
        important risk factor;
Whereas despite the serious consequences that can manifest in the family and 
        life experiences of an individual with ADHD, studies indicate that less 
        than 85 percent of adults with the disorder are diagnosed and less than 
        \1/2\ of children and adults with the disorder receive treatment and, 
        furthermore, poor and minority communities are particularly underserved 
        by ADHD resources;
Whereas the Surgeon General, the American Medical Association, the American 
        Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent 
        Psychiatry, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy 
        of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the 
        National Institutes of Mental Health, among others, recognize the need 
        for proper diagnosis, education, and treatment of ADHD;
Whereas the lack of public knowledge and understanding of the disorder play a 
        significant role in the overwhelming numbers of undiagnosed and 
        untreated cases of ADHD, and the dissemination of inaccurate, misleading 
        information contributes as an obstacle for diagnosis and treatment;
Whereas lack of knowledge combined with issues of stigma have a particularly 
        detrimental effect on the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder;
Whereas there is a need for education of health care professionals, employers, 
        and educators about the disorder and a need for well-trained mental 
        health professionals capable of conducting proper diagnosis and 
        treatment activities; and
Whereas studies by the National Institute of Mental Health and others 
        consistently reveal that through proper comprehensive diagnosis and 
        treatment, the symptoms of ADHD can be substantially decreased and 
        quality of life can be improved: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates September 18, 2008, as ``National Attention 
        Deficit Disorder Awareness Day'';
            (2) recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 
        (ADHD) as a major public health concern;
            (3) encourages all Americans to find out more about ADHD, 
        support ADHD mental health services, and seek the appropriate 
        treatment and support, if necessary;
            (4) expresses the sense of the Senate that the Federal 
        Government has a responsibility to--
                    (A) endeavor to raise awareness about ADHD; and
                    (B) continue to consider ways to improve access and 
                quality of mental health services dedicated to 
                improving the quality of life of children and adults 
                with ADHD; and
            (5) calls on Federal, State, and local administrators and 
        the people of the United States to observe the day with 
        appropriate programs and activities.
                                 <all>