[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1011]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 24, 2010

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H. Res. 1258, ``Expressing support for designation of May 
2010 as Mental Health Month.''
  Mental health issues pose a serious problem for the people of this 
nation. Roughly 57 million people in the U.S. suffer from some form of 
mental illness. These illnesses affect not only the quality of life of 
the individual, but also the health of our communities, families, and 
our economic stability. Untreated mental illness is the leading cause 
of lost productivity and absenteeism in the workplace, resulting in an 
estimated $193 billion per year in lost earnings.
  In addition to lost time and productivity, untreated mental illnesses 
far too frequently result in lost lives. In recent years, the suicide 
rate has been double the homicide rate; suicide is the third leading 
cause of death for people between 15 and 24. While the problem of 
mental illness and depression knows no demographic boundaries, suicide 
rates are particularly high among the elderly and Native Americans.
  The challenges of mental illness impact our military as well. Roughly 
a quarter of our service members suffer either psychological or 
neurological disorders, including depression and PTSD.
  I support the designation of May as Mental Health Month, and urge my 
colleagues to join me. We need to recognize that mental well-being is 
as important as physical well-being for our citizens, families, and 
communities, and that our failure, as a nation, to prioritize mental 
health care is a tragedy. We need to remove the stigma from mental 
illness and encourage people to seek assistance, promote public 
awareness of the problem, and improve access to appropriate services 
for our citizens.

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