[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E920-E921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2008

  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H. 
Res. 1134, a bill which supports the goals and ideals of Mental Health 
Month. I support this legislation because I believe that Congress 
should seek to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the 
importance of mental wellness for all.
  The plight of families suffering from mental illness is immense and 
can often be linked to an absence of adequate social services available 
coupled with the unwarranted stigma surrounding mental health issues. 
Due to the unwarranted social stigma associated with mental illness and 
a systemic failure to provide health care coverage, over two-thirds of 
the people who suffer from mental illness go untreated according to the 
Department of Health and Human Services.
  According to the National Institute on Mental Health, 20 percent of 
our children and 26.2 percent of American adults suffer from a 
diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. As the leading cause of 
disability in the U.S., many people suffer from more than one mental 
disorder at a given time. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 
one in two Americans has a diagnosable mental disorder each year.
  Within minority communities, there is an increased need for mental 
health services. For example, according to the Centers for Disease 
Control, African Americans are more likely to experience a mental 
disorder and less likely to seek treatment than Caucasian Americans. 
When African Americans do seek treatment, they are more likely to use 
the emergency room for mental health care, and they are also more 
likely than whites to receive inpatient care.
  In 2004, the House Government Reform Committee estimated $100 million 
of taxpayers' money was spent on detention of

[[Page E921]]

youth awaiting community mental health services. I am alarmed by this 
number and therefore support H. Res. 1134 because it recognizes the 
dual need for preventative mental and physical healthcare.
  Last year, I introduced H. Con. Res. 86 to express the sense of 
Congress that an appropriate month should be recognized as Bebe Moore 
Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Bebe Moore 
Campbell was a premier journalist who, before her untimely death, 
authored a children's book titled, Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry, 
winner of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Outstanding 
Literature Award. Through this story of how a little girl copes with 
being reared by her mentally ill mother, Moore Campbell was able to 
raise public awareness on mental health issues and heighten the 
consciousness of this topic within minority communities.
  We must strive to accomplish the goals and ideals associated with 
Mental Health Month in order to alleviate the obstacles and burdens 
many people and families who are affected by mental illness face on a 
daily basis. Again, I would like to affirm my support of H. Res. 1134.

                          ____________________