[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 74 (Thursday, April 29, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 193--SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF THE WEEK OF MAY 2, 
2021, AS ``CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK'' AND THE DAY OF MAY 
         9, 2021, AS ``CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY''

  Mr. KING (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Hassan) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 1935

       Whereas children in the United States were already 
     experiencing a public health crisis regarding mental and 
     behavioral health before the additional challenges of the 
     coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic;
       Whereas a 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control 
     and Prevention (CDC) estimated that mental disorders affect 
     between 13 and 20 percent of children in a given year and 
     cost approximately $247,000,000,000 annually;
       Whereas the National Institute of Mental Health estimates 
     that nearly \1/2\ of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years old will 
     experience some form of a mental disorder;
       Whereas, in 2019, over 11 percent of children ages 3 to 17 
     years old received treatment or counseling from a mental 
     health professional, according to the United States Census 
     Bureau;
       Whereas suicide is the third leading cause of death for 
     youth ages 10 to 24 years old, and 90 percent of those 
     individuals have an underlying mental illness;
       Whereas, during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased isolation 
     and collective trauma have led to an increase in demand for 
     mental health services for children, with the proportion of 
     mental health-related visits to emergency rooms for children 
     increasing from approximately 24 to 31 percent between 2019 
     and 2020;
       Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has also laid bare the 
     inequities in our mental health delivery system for all 
     populations, and such inequities have disproportionately 
     impacted children and adults who have been exposed to adverse 
     childhood experiences prior to and during the pandemic; and
       Whereas the stigma of accessing mental and behavioral 
     health services persisted before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 
     acknowledging this public health crisis and creating 
     awareness as early as possible is as important as ever: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of the week of May 2, 2021, as 
     ``Children's Mental Health Awareness Week'' and the day of 
     May 9, 2021, as ``Children's Mental Health Awareness Day'';
       (2) recognizes the importance of connecting children with 
     appropriate mental and behavioral health services and 
     supports;
       (3) seeks to create awareness regarding the additional 
     challenges children and their families have faced during the 
     COVID-19 pandemic due to isolation from family and peers, 
     exposure to traumas, and barriers to mental and behavioral 
     health services and supports;
       (4) supports programs and services aimed at expanding 
     access to care, building resiliency, and addressing trauma; 
     and
       (5) appreciates and extends its gratitude to family 
     members, friends, educators, mental and behavioral health 
     service providers, and others in their support for children's 
     mental health and well-being.

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