[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 1999

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the fact 
that May is Mental Health Month. I have long been a strong supporter of 
our mental health programs and I would like to extend thanks to the 
many thousands who work day after day in the mental health field.
  Those who work in the mental health field provide many of our 
constituents with the opportunity to consult with mental health 
specialists and receive the care they so desperately need. With an 
estimated 15 percent (or 28 million of the 185 million U.S. adults aged 
18 and over suffering from mental health disorders), the need for 
recognition of the instances of mental health is paramount. Moreover, 
because approximately 22 percent of the population will experience a 
mental disorder during the course of their lives, at an estimated cost 
of $129 billion per year, the services that those in the mental health 
field provide is essential. Many Americans, who otherwise would have 
suffered in silence, now have the opportunity to seek treatment and 
lead the happy and productive lives so many desire.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that our colleagues will join in paying 
tribute to Mental Health Month and to those who suffer with mental 
disorders and those who work in the field. It is hoped that with the 
continued support of the Congress, forward progress can be made in 
mental health treatment.

                          ____________________