[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 297 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 297

  Expressing support for designation of the first full week of May as 
               ``National Mental Health No Stigma Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 3, 2015

   Mr. Peters (for himself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Rangel, Ms. McCollum, Mr. 
 Fattah, Ms. Bordallo, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. 
 Perlmutter, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. Sablan, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Lowenthal, 
Ms. Lee, Mr. Delaney, Mrs. Davis of California, Ms. Speier, Mr. Ryan of 
 Ohio, Mr. Loebsack, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Connolly, 
  Ms. Moore, Ms. Norton, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Thompson of 
California, and Mrs. Dingell) submitted the following resolution; which 
    was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing support for designation of the first full week of May as 
               ``National Mental Health No Stigma Week''.

Whereas it is in the best interest of the United States to increase awareness 
        regarding the negative stigma associated with mental illness;
Whereas stigma is a very real problem for people who have a mental illness;
Whereas every person needs and deserves to feel a sense of belonging, and not be 
        excluded or ostracized;
Whereas the most formidable obstacle to future progress in the area of mental 
        health is stigma, and today, the United States has the power to tear 
        down that obstacle;
Whereas throughout the United States, there are efforts by public and private 
        mental health agencies that work tirelessly to educate the public about 
        the harmful effects of stigma;
Whereas some of the harmful effects of stigma include trying to pretend nothing 
        is wrong, refusal to seek treatment, rejection by family and friends, 
        work or school problems or discrimination, difficulty finding housing, 
        being subjected to physical violence or harassment, and inadequate 
        health insurance coverage of mental illnesses;
Whereas 1 in 4 adults, approximately 61,500,000 people in the United States, 
        experiences mental illness in a given year and 1 in 17, approximately 
        13,600,000 live with a serious mental illness;
Whereas approximately 20 percent of youth ages 13 to 18 and approximately 13 
        percent of those ages 8 to 15 experience severe mental disorders in a 
        given year;
Whereas while 1 in 5 people in the United States lives with a mental disorder, 
        estimates indicate that nearly two-thirds of all people with a 
        diagnosable mental illness do not seek treatment, especially people from 
        diverse communities;
Whereas despite civil rights laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act 
        of 1990, people with mental illnesses often experience discrimination in 
        education, housing, health care, and the workplace;
Whereas according to the California Mental Health Services Oversight and 
        Accountability Commission's report of 2007, a public education campaign 
        can improve the public's awareness of unmet needs and reduce the harmful 
        effects of stigma and discrimination; and
Whereas the first full week of May would be an appropriate week to designate as 
        ``National Mental Health No Stigma Week'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the 
designation of ``National Mental Health No Stigma Week''.
                                 <all>