IV 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 640 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 27, 2012 Mrs. Napolitano (for herself, Mr. Baca, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Doggett, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Farr, Mr. Filner, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gutierrez, Ms. Hahn, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Hinojosa, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Honda, Mr. Israel, Mr. Crowley, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Luján, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Matsui, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Meeks, Mr. George Miller of California, Ms. Moore, Mr. Olver, Mr. Owens, Mr. Pastor of Arizona, Mr. Pierluisi, Mr. Polis, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Reyes, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Rush, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Ms. Linda T. Sánchez of California, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Stark, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Towns, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Waters, Mr. Watt, Mr. Waxman, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Chu, Mr. Murphy of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Austria) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Expressing support for designation of May 2012 as Mental Health Month.

Whereas the mental health and well-being of people in the United States is a critical issue that affects not only quality of life, but also the health of communities, families, and economic stability; Whereas the stigma associated with mental health continues to persist; Whereas more than 57,000,000 people in the United States suffer from mental illness; Whereas approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents has a diagnosable mental disorder; Whereas more than a quarter of the members of the United States Armed Forces suffer from psychological or neurological injuries sustained from combat, including major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder; Whereas more than half of all prison and jail inmates suffer from mental illness; Whereas mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the Nation; Whereas major mental illness costs businesses and the United States economy over $193,000,000,000 per year in lost earnings; Whereas untreated mental illness is a leading cause of absenteeism and lost productivity in the workplace; Whereas in 2005, over 32,000 individuals died by suicide in the United States, nearly twice the rate of homicide; Whereas suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 15 and 24; Whereas in 2004, individuals age 65 and older comprised only 12.4 percent of the population but accounted for 16.6 percent of all suicides, and the rate of suicide among older people is higher than for any other age group; Whereas 1 in 4 Latin American adolescents report seriously contemplating suicide, a rate higher than any other demographic; Whereas Native Americans currently rank as the top ethnicity for suicide rates nationwide; Whereas studies report that people with serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population; and Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2012 as Mental Health Month: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)supports the designation of Mental Health Month in order to place emphasis on scientific facts and findings regarding mental health and to remove the stigma associated with mental illness; (2)recognizes that mental well-being is equally as important as physical well-being for citizens, communities, businesses, and the economy in the United States; (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 finding 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 living with mental illness.