[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 831 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 831

     Designating October 10, 2022, as ``World Mental Health Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 15, 2022

    Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Cassidy) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Designating October 10, 2022, as ``World Mental Health Day''.

Whereas mental health and psychosocial support services with an emphasis on 
        systems strengthening and sound investment to ensure availability, 
        quality, and access to services that meet the needs of children, 
        adolescents, and adults are priorities for the global community;
Whereas the World Federation for Mental Health identifies a different theme each 
        year for World Mental Health Day, and the 2022 theme is ``Make Mental 
        Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority'';
Whereas the World Health Organization identified that, in 2019, 1 in 8 
        individuals worldwide, or 970,000,000 individuals, were living with a 
        mental health disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders most 
        common;
Whereas, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of 
        anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25 percent, according to a 
        scientific brief released by the World Health Organization;
Whereas children and adolescents especially need support, due to the impact the 
        COVID-19 pandemic has had on individuals and families worldwide;
Whereas, 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the social and economic devastation 
        is weighing most heavily on children, particularly in the poorest and 
        most marginalized communities;
Whereas children experience the greatest burden of the secondary impacts of the 
        COVID-19 pandemic, due to increased poverty, interrupted education, 
        increased risks of abuse and exploitation, and weakened health systems;
Whereas it is estimated that 100,000,000 additional children are now living in 
        poverty because of the COVID-19 pandemic alone, which is a 10 percent 
        increase since 2019, at least \2/3\ of households with children have 
        lost income since 2020, and \3/4\ of households with 3 or more children 
        have experienced a drop in earnings since 2020;
Whereas experts from organizations like the United Nations Children's Fund 
        estimate it will take not less than 7 or 8 years to return to pre-COVID 
        child poverty levels;
Whereas an estimated 6,700,000 children have suffered from the loss of a mother, 
        father, or other primary caregiver due to COVID-19 during the past 2 
        years;
Whereas more than 616,000,000 children are still affected by full or partial 
        school closures, and education disruptions in low- and middle-income 
        countries have left up to 70 percent of 10-year-olds unable to read;
Whereas, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, shuttered schools, lockdowns, and 
        disruptions to services that protect girls mean that in the next decade 
        it is estimated--

    (1) an additional 2,000,000 girls may suffer from female genital 
mutilation; and

    (2) an additional 10,000,000 child marriages may occur;

Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a 50 percent increase in internet use 
        among children aged 6 to 12 in the United States alone, which has led to 
        a rapid increase in the online sexual exploitation and abuse of 
        children;
Whereas the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received nearly 
        22,000,000 reports to its CyberTipline in 2020, a 28 percent increase 
        from 2019;
Whereas mental health conditions affect more than 13 percent of adolescents aged 
        10 to 19 worldwide, and by October 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had 
        disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93 percent of 
        countries globally;
Whereas an additional 9,000,000 children are at risk of being pushed into child 
        labor by the end of 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas an additional 9,000,000 children could suffer from wasting, the most 
        life-threatening form of malnutrition, due to the impact of the COVID-19 
        pandemic on the diets of children, nutrition services, and feeding 
        practices;
Whereas parent and caregiver mental health and well-being is a key to thriving 
        families, and supporting children's mental health means supporting their 
        families and caregivers as well;
Whereas acting early to support children and caregivers is the preferred 
        investment for governments to promote good mental health, prevent poor 
        mental health, and respond to the complex mental health issues facing 
        children and families;
Whereas governments and societies should prioritize investing in promoting, 
        protecting, and caring for the mental health of children and their 
        caregivers; and
Whereas, to combat the dangerous decline in mental health described in this 
        preamble, the United States can and should lead by example: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates October 10, 2022 as ``World Mental Health 
        Day'';
            (2) recognizes that mental health and psychosocial support 
        are priorities in addressing the holistic needs of children, 
        youth, and families;
            (3) recognizes that children and adolescents have faced 
        increased risk of diminished economic standing, education, and 
        physical and mental health, especially in developing countries; 
        and
            (4) recognizes that interagency coordination and 
        collaboration are essential to ensuring the well-being of 
        children and their ability to develop, survive, and thrive 
        during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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