[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

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                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 23, 2007

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remind my 
colleagues that May is Mental Health Month. I would also like to thank 
those who have dedicated their lives to mental healthcare.
  Now more than ever, we must commit ourselves to full mental health 
parity. An estimated 26 percent of Americans between the ages 18 and 
older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. This 
means that 57.7 million people currently suffer from a mental disorder. 
Millions who suffer from serious, debilitating, and life altering 
mental disorders. Mental disorders such as Alzheimer's, Schizophrenia 
and Bi-Polar Disorder. Nearly two thirds of all people with diagnosable 
mental disorders do not seek treatment.
  The burden of mental illness on health and productivity amongst 
society in the United States has been underestimated. A massive study 
conducted by the World Health Organization, The World Bank, and Harvard 
University, discovered that mental illness, accounts for over 15 
percent of the burden of disease in market economies, such as the 
United States. This is more than the burden caused by cancers.
  I am grateful to the Committee on Education and the Workforce for 
reauthorizing the Older Americans Act. The Older Americans Act supports 
the mental health needs of the elderly. Nearly 236 elderly people per 
100,000 suffer from a mental illness. The highest suicide rate in 
America is among those aged 65 and older. Elderly men are the 
demographic area that is most likely to commit suicide. Specifically, I 
want to ensure that senior citizens have access to mental health 
services in their respective communities or wherever they receive 
primary health care services. I would like to commend the Honorable 
Patrick Kennedy for his efforts in providing mental health parity in 
Medicare. I am pleased that we are beginning to make some headway on 
this important issue.

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