[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 176 (Tuesday, November 15, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6698-S6699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 831--DESIGNATING OCTOBER 10, 2022, AS ``WORLD MENTAL 
                              HEALTH DAY''

  Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. Cassidy) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 831

       Whereas mental health and psychosocial support services 
     with an emphasis on systems strengthening and sound 
     investment to ensure availability, quality, and access to 
     services that meet the needs of children, adolescents, and 
     adults are priorities for the global community;
       Whereas the World Federation for Mental Health identifies a 
     different theme each year for World Mental Health Day, and 
     the 2022 theme is ``Make Mental Health & Well-Being for All a 
     Global Priority'';
       Whereas the World Health Organization identified that, in 
     2019, 1 in 8 individuals worldwide, or 970,000,000 
     individuals, were living with a mental health disorder, with 
     anxiety and depressive disorders most common;
       Whereas, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global 
     prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 
     25 percent, according to a scientific brief released by the 
     World Health Organization;
       Whereas children and adolescents especially need support, 
     due to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on 
     individuals and families worldwide;
       Whereas, 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the social and 
     economic devastation is weighing most heavily on children, 
     particularly in the poorest and most marginalized 
     communities;
       Whereas children experience the greatest burden of the 
     secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to increased 
     poverty, interrupted education, increased risks of abuse and 
     exploitation, and weakened health systems;
       Whereas it is estimated that 100,000,000 additional 
     children are now living in poverty because of the COVID-19 
     pandemic alone, which is a 10 percent increase since 2019, at 
     least \2/3\ of households with children have lost income 
     since 2020, and \3/4\ of households with 3 or more children 
     have experienced a drop in earnings since 2020;
       Whereas experts from organizations like the United Nations 
     Children's Fund estimate it will take not less than 7 or 8 
     years to return to pre-COVID child poverty levels;
       Whereas an estimated 6,700,000 children have suffered from 
     the loss of a mother, father, or other primary caregiver due 
     to COVID-19 during the past 2 years;
       Whereas more than 616,000,000 children are still affected 
     by full or partial school closures, and education disruptions 
     in low- and middle-income countries have left up to 70 
     percent of 10-year-olds unable to read;
       Whereas, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, shuttered 
     schools, lockdowns, and disruptions to services that protect 
     girls mean that in the next decade it is estimated--
       (1) an additional 2,000,000 girls may suffer from female 
     genital mutilation; and
       (2) an additional 10,000,000 child marriages may occur;
       Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a 50 percent increase 
     in internet use among children aged 6 to 12 in the United 
     States alone, which has led to a rapid increase in the online 
     sexual exploitation and abuse of children;
       Whereas the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
     Children received nearly 22,000,000 reports to its 
     CyberTipline in 2020, a 28 percent increase from 2019;
       Whereas mental health conditions affect more than 13 
     percent of adolescents aged 10 to 19 worldwide, and by 
     October 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted or halted 
     critical mental health services in 93 percent of countries 
     globally;
       Whereas an additional 9,000,000 children are at risk of 
     being pushed into child labor by the end of 2022 as a result 
     of the COVID-19 pandemic;
       Whereas an additional 9,000,000 children could suffer from 
     wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, due 
     to the

[[Page S6699]]

     impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diets of children, 
     nutrition services, and feeding practices;
       Whereas parent and caregiver mental health and well-being 
     is a key to thriving families, and supporting children's 
     mental health means supporting their families and caregivers 
     as well;
       Whereas acting early to support children and caregivers is 
     the preferred investment for governments to promote good 
     mental health, prevent poor mental health, and respond to the 
     complex mental health issues facing children and families;
       Whereas governments and societies should prioritize 
     investing in promoting, protecting, and caring for the mental 
     health of children and their caregivers; and
       Whereas, to combat the dangerous decline in mental health 
     described in this preamble, the United States can and should 
     lead by example: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates October 10, 2022 as ``World Mental Health 
     Day'';
       (2) recognizes that mental health and psychosocial support 
     are priorities in addressing the holistic needs of children, 
     youth, and families;
       (3) recognizes that children and adolescents have faced 
     increased risk of diminished economic standing, education, 
     and physical and mental health, especially in developing 
     countries; and
       (4) recognizes that interagency coordination and 
     collaboration are essential to ensuring the well-being of 
     children and their ability to develop, survive, and thrive 
     during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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