[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 67 (Wednesday, May 22, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        TESTIMONY OF LYDIA LEWIS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 21, 2002

  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I wish to insert into the 
Record the testimony of Lydia Lewis of the National Depressive and 
Manic-Depressive Association before the House Labor-HHS-Education 
Appropriations Subcommittee.

  Testimony of Lydia Lewis, on Behalf of the National Depressive and 
               Manic-Depressive Association--May 9, 2002

       Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee. 
     Thank you for the opportunity to testify on federal funding 
     for mental health research for the next fiscal year. My name 
     is Lydia Lewis and I serve as Executive Director of the 
     National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association 
     (National DMDA).
       National DMDA is the nation's largest illness-specific, 
     patient-directed organization. We represent the 20 million 
     American adults living with depression and the additional 2.5 
     million adults living with bipolar disorder. Part of the 
     mission of National DMDA is to educate the public concerning 
     the nature of depression and bipolar disorder as treatable 
     medical diseases and to advocate for research to eliminate 
     these diseases.
       Mr. Chairman, National DMDA is pleased with the 
     Subcommittee's strong commitment to biomedical research. We 
     are grateful for the progress toward doubling the overall NIH 
     budget and we encourage the Subcommittee to complete the 
     doubling plan in this fiscal year. We support the 
     Administration's request for $27.3 billion for the National 
     Institutes of Health (NIH). As you know, this increase of 
     $3.7 billion would complete the final phase of the NIH 
     doubling plan.
       Our nation's investment in extramural biomedical research, 
     led by the NIH, yields countless discoveries that facilitate 
     our understanding of the biological basis of disease. This 
     knowledge will help develop improved techniques to prevent, 
     diagnose, treat, cure and eliminate diseases.


                                Research

       Although bipolar disorder is a biochemical imbalance in the 
     brain, like many mental illnesses, it cannot be identified 
     physiologically. There is no blood test or brain scan, yet. 
     Funding for the NIH, and funding for mental illness in 
     particular, promises great rewards for both individuals who 
     suffer from mental illness and for our nation as a whole.
       Evidence underscores the effectiveness of treatment for 
     mental illnesses. Treatment for bipolar disorders has a 65% 
     success rate and major depression has an 80% success rate. 
     Comparatively, a surgical procedure for angioplasty has a 41% 
     success rate. As research yields greater advancements in 
     treating mood disorders and other mental illnesses, we hope 
     to see the treatment success rate soar.
       We applaud efforts to advance research on postpartum mental 
     illness through legislative means. The ``Melanie Stokes 
     Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act'' (H.R. 2380/S. 
     1535) would direct funds for the specific purpose of NIH 
     research on postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
       It is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of new mothers 
     experience postpartum depression (PPD). Postpartum psychosis 
     (PPP) affects less than 1 percent of new mothers. While there 
     may be indicators or predispositions for these disorders, 
     researchers do not have sufficient information about the 
     cause and effective treatment,
       Employers, employees, the mental health system and the 
     federal government will all benefit from the long term 
     economic savings of early detection and treatment of mental 
     illness. Our nation's investment in increased biomedical 
     research for mental illness will advance this cause.


            Co-occurring Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

       A high percentage of patients with mental illness also have 
     alcohol and substance abuse problems. Conversely, many 
     individuals with alcohol and substance abuse problems suffer 
     from mental illness. The State mental health systems separate 
     block grant funding for these treatments, one treatment for 
     traditional mental illness and another for alcohol and 
     substance abuse.
       More than half of individuals with bipolar disorder or 
     schizophrenia may be alcohol/ substance abusers. The rate of 
     alcohol and drug abuse in the general population is 
     approximately 20%; it is 50-60% in people with bipolar 
     disorder. For individuals with mood disorders, drugs of abuse 
     interact differently, potentially causing exponential damage 
     greater than the abusive substance alone.
       Medical experts understand it is critical that new patients 
     in treatment for mental illness address any alcohol or 
     substance abuse issues in collaboration with their mental 
     health needs. Integrated treatment by dually trained 
     professionals is critical to the success of either program.
       We are encouraged by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
     Services Administration (SAMHSA) efforts to study this issue. 
     It is our understanding that SAMSHA will issue a report to 
     Congress by October 17, 2002. We believe it is imperative 
     that SAMSHA integrate treatment programs for these 
     individuals. In addition to an improved quality of life, 
     streamlining the system will eliminate unnecessary and 
     redundant paperwork, saving critical funds for more 
     successful treatment programs.


        The Stigma of Mental Illness and Health Insurance Parity

       We are delighted with the President's recent commitment to 
     help end the stigma associated with mental illnesses. For far 
     too long, individuals with mental illness have avoided 
     seeking appropriate and critical treatment for fear of the 
     stigmatizing label of mentally ill or have needed to make a 
     choice between food, rent and treatment. For many individuals 
     this is a choice between life and death.
       In 1999, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the 
     United States. For males, it was the eighth leading cause of 
     death and for young people age 15 to 24, suicide was the 
     third leading cause of death. Suicide outnumbered homicides 
     by 5 to 3 and there were twice as many deaths due to suicide 
     than deaths due to HIV/AIDS.
       While these statistics are sobering, we are hopeful that 
     with increased availability of treatment, those numbers can 
     change. While we support essential research on the causes of 
     mental illness, we also support increased access to already 
     existing treatment by passing the ``Mental Health Equitable 
     Treatment Act'' (H.R. 4066/ S.543).
       Individuals who suffer from mental illness should not be 
     required to bear an additional financial burden to treat 
     their illnesses. The discriminatory practice of setting 
     different limits, hospital stays, and deductibles for mental 
     illness is arbitrary, cruel and without medical basis.
       We believe that providing mental health coverage is cost 
     effective for all employers. The Congressional Budget Office 
     (CBO) estimated that providing mental health parity as 
     outlined in the Domenici-Wellstone Mental Health Equitable 
     Treatment Act would increase health care costs by less than 
     1%. Increasing ease and access to treatment will yield 
     healthier, more productive employees. Passing the Mental 
     Health Equitable Treatment Act is a step toward ending 
     discriminatory practices that seek to separate the body from 
     the mind.
       Thank you again Mr. Chairman for the opportunity to 
     testify.

     

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