[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 123 (Monday, July 25, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 718--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF JULY 19 THROUGH JULY 25, 
2022, AS ``BLACK MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK'' AND SUPPORTING 
THE GOAL OF RAISING AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING AROUND MATERNAL MENTAL 
           HEALTH CONDITIONS AS THEY AFFECT BLACK INDIVIDUALS

  Mr. OSSOFF submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 718

       Whereas 1 in 8 women and 1 in 6 Black women will suffer 
     from a maternal mental health condition at some point during 
     their lifetimes;
       Whereas maternal mental health and substance use disorder 
     conditions initially present during pregnancy or the year 
     following childbirth, stillbirth, or miscarriage, and include 
     depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, 
     psychosis, and other conditions;
       Whereas suicide and overdose caused by a maternal mental 
     health or substance use disorder condition contribute to the 
     rising maternal mortality rate;
       Whereas non-Hispanic Black individuals are 3 times more 
     likely to have a maternal death than white individuals in the 
     United States;
       Whereas untreated maternal mental health conditions cost 
     the United States economy $14,200,000,000 each year due to 
     productivity loss, preterm births, child behavioral and 
     developmental costs, and other health-related costs;
       Whereas maternal mental health conditions impair mother-
     infant interactions causing negative behavioral, cognitive, 
     and emotional impacts on the infant;
       Whereas untreated maternal depression during pregnancy 
     leads to a higher risk of preterm and low birth weight 
     delivery and infant mortality;
       Whereas many health professionals receive limited or no 
     formal training on providing culturally appropriate maternity 
     care in diverse communities;
       Whereas 50 percent of individuals with a maternal mental 
     health condition never receive treatment, and Black women are 
     less likely than white women to access or continue treatment, 
     or refill a prescription for a maternal mental health 
     condition;
       Whereas best practices for the prevention and treatment of 
     maternal mental health conditions include collaborative and 
     culturally and linguistically appropriate models of group 
     prenatal or postpartum care;
       Whereas addressing maternal mental health conditions is 
     integral in reaching the Healthy People 2030 goals of the 
     Department of Health and Human Services of a 10 percent 
     reduction of the maternal mortality rate, maternal illnesses 
     and complications due to pregnancy, and the preterm live 
     birth rate; and
       Whereas more research on Black maternal mental health 
     outcomes and care, existing State and other programs, and 
     innovative maternity care models designed to reduce racial 
     and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes is needed 
     to inform evidence-based treatments, promote prevention and 
     recovery support efforts, facilitate early identification, 
     dispel stigmas and barriers to care, and provide insight on 
     illness causation and the effects of maternal mental health 
     conditions on infants and communities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of July 19 through July 25, 2022, 
     as ``Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week'';
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of Black Maternal Mental 
     Health Awareness Week to raise public awareness and 
     understanding around maternal mental health conditions and 
     their disproportionate impact on Black women and families;
       (3) recognizes the need for culturally and linguistically 
     appropriate prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery 
     support services for individuals affected by maternal mental 
     health conditions;
       (4) acknowledges the need for further research on maternal 
     mental health treatment models that are effective in reducing 
     racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes; and
       (5) encourages Federal, State, and local governments and 
     citizens of the United States--
       (A) to support Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 
     through programs and activities; and
       (B) to promote public awareness of maternal mental health 
     conditions as those conditions affect Black individuals.

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