[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 259 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 259
Promoting youth mental health and well-being in a changing climate.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2023
Mr. Thompson of California (for himself and Ms. Castor of Florida)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Promoting youth mental health and well-being in a changing climate.
Whereas there is a significant, negative impact that a rapid and ongoing
changing climate has on youth in the United States;
Whereas youth are especially vulnerable to the physical and mental health
impacts of climate-related disasters and the cumulative toll youth will
endure from additional exposure to increasing climate-related disasters;
Whereas youth represent a particularly vulnerable group because greenhouse gases
emitted into the atmosphere will impact today's and tomorrow's youth
throughout their biological, psychological, academic, and social
development;
Whereas an American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica report stated that,
as of 2016, as climate-related disasters continue to increase, more
youth will be directly affected by increasing rates of stress and trauma
through interruption in schooling, disruptions in routine, separation
from caregivers due to evacuations or displacement, and parental stress
after a disaster;
Whereas recent studies cited in the American Psychological Association and
ecoAmerica report have documented that high levels of stress during
childhood, such as those associated with the experience of a climate-
related disaster or displacement, can affect the development of neural
pathways in ways that impair memory, executive function, and decision
making in later life;
Whereas a 2016 Social Science and Medicine study found that experiencing an
extreme weather event before age 5 resulted in higher levels of anxiety
and depression among adults;
Whereas recent studies confirm individuals from low-income communities,
indigenous communities, and communities of color are often the most
vulnerable to the worst impacts of a changing climate, such as flooding,
drought, fire, and extreme heat;
Whereas a study by the American Public Health Association and ecoAmerica
entitled, ``Making the Connection: Climate Changes Mental Health'',
shows that up to 45 percent of youth have developed depression after a
climate-related disaster, affecting both their caregivers and the youth
themselves;
Whereas a National Library of Medicine study found an association between
increases in pediatric psychiatrist visits and polluted air from
wildfires;
Whereas there are direct links between fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) exposure
and neuropsychological effects, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder, decreased memory, depleted academic performance, and autism;
Whereas, according to a 2017 report by the Lancet Planetary Health Journal,
``The Impact of Climate Change on Youth Depression and Mental Health'',
an increase in emergency department visits was incited by higher levels
of humidity and rising temperatures;
Whereas, in 2021, 64 percent of individuals in the United States lived in places
that experienced a multi-day heat wave, considered the most dangerous
form of climate-related disaster;
Whereas the frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters is increasing
exponentially;
Whereas a 2019 report suggested that as the frequency of heat waves increases
due to the changing climate, school-based outdoor recreational
opportunities for youth that benefit mental and physical well-being will
be curtailed by extreme heat;
Whereas, in 2020, a poll from the Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation found
that 57 percent of teenagers stated they were frightened by climate
change, while 52 percent were angered by it and a mere 29 percent of
youth were optimistic for the future;
Whereas, according to a 2021 study surveying over 10,000 youth, 45 percent of
respondents reported that thoughts of climate change have affected their
daily lives and abilities negatively;
Whereas, in 2021, the National Association of School Psychologists, representing
more than 25,000 members, declared the need to increase awareness of the
harmful effects of climate change on youth, increase resources, and
advocate for climate justice;
Whereas the American Psychological Association has issued a report stating that
children are among the individuals in the United States facing the
greatest impacts of climate change;
Whereas the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child has concluded
that children and youth fare better during adversity if they also have
the help of noncaregiver role models, such as teachers or coaches; and
Whereas the World Health Organization acknowledges that mental health isn't just
the absence of mental health disorders, but also encompasses the human
capacity to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities,
learn well and work well, and contribute to their community: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) shall take effective action on climate change, guided
by the science provided in the 2021 United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, to protect
the mental health and well-being of current and future youth;
and
(2) supports the expansion of funding for climate
education, resilience, and adaptation projects that benefit the
mental health and well-being of youth, including--
(A) incorporating trauma-informed approaches to
mental health into existing disaster preparation
efforts;
(B) engaging in education and outreach to reduce
the stigma associated with seeking treatment;
(C) reducing cost and increasing access for
treatment (such as through Federally qualified health
centers and mobile and virtual health care);
(D) increasing insurance and reimbursement under
the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) and the Medicaid
program under title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et
seq.) for mental health care treatment;
(E) funding community-wide vulnerability
assessments;
(F) addressing inequity by studying the impacts of
income disparity at local levels that have been linked
to higher community-wide vulnerability to climate risk;
(G) expanding local, place-based, mutual aid
networks that supply mental health support during and
post climate-related disaster events and proactively
promote mental and emotional resilience; and
(H) providing direct funding to school districts
that need immediate resources to help children and
families cope with the mental health effects of
continued climate-related disasters.
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