[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7723]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing May as National Mental Health Awareness Month. Sadly, 
mental health is a subject that often does not receive the attention it 
deserves in our society, despite the fact that mental illness touches 
the lives of tens of millions of Americans each year. Nearly 50 percent 
of American adults will develop at least one mental illness in their 
lifetimes, and in a given year, one in four American adults, more than 
60 million people, experiences some form of mental illness. Of that 
number, approximately 5.8 percent suffer from a serious mental disorder 
like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.
  Mental illness can have a devastating impact on an individual's 
overall health and quality of life. Those suffering from serious mental 
illnesses are not only at increased risk for chronic medical 
conditions, but they also die, on average, 25 years earlier than other 
Americans, due in large part to treatable medical conditions. Adults 
with severe mental disorders are also much more likely to be 
impoverished, further limiting their access to health care services 
needed to help manage their illnesses. A 2012 study published in the 
Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics found that the presence 
of a household member with a severe mental illness was shown to 
increase the likelihood of poverty in a home by more than three times.
  Mental illness also has a significant impact on our country's 
economy. According to the CDC, the economic cost of mental illness in 
the United States was a staggering $300 billion in 2002.
  The good news is that high-quality, evidence-based treatment for 
mental illnesses can be very effective. However, fewer than half of 
those in need receive any mental health care in the United States. This 
is simply unacceptable. Stigma, cost, and other barriers, such as 
limited capacity in some areas to serve all those in need, prevent many 
individuals from receiving necessary mental health care. It is 
imperative that we act to improve access to high-quality, evidence-
based mental health care services in our country.
  Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the ribbon-cutting 
ceremony for the Mosaic Integrated Healthcare Center, a state-of-the-
art facility in Baltimore that will provide essential mental health 
services, substance abuse treatment, and primary care services to the 
community. Mosaic Community Services is the largest community-based 
behavioral health service provider in Maryland, serving thousands of 
children, adolescents, and adults annually. The new Integrated 
Healthcare Center will allow full implementation of Mosaic's integrated 
care model, which addresses patients' physical and behavioral health 
needs in a comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-saving manner. A pilot 
program based on this model, supported by a 2010 grant from Maryland's 
Community Health Resources Commission, resulted in an impressive 78 
percent reduction in emergency room visits and urgent inpatient care. 
Mosaic's innovative system is a perfect example of the ways in which 
integrated care can improve quality of care, result in better health 
outcomes, and help generate long-term cost savings.
  I am also excited to be working on an initiative to improve access 
to, and quality of, mental health care in our country by facilitating 
the integration of mental health care services into the primary care 
setting through the collaborative care model, developed by the late Dr. 
Wayne Katon, at the AIMS Center at the University of Washington.
  In the collaborative care model, primary care providers treat 
patients with common mental health disorders, such as depression or 
anxiety, with help from a care manager and a psychiatrist who acts a 
consultant, reviewing patients' progress, making treatment 
recommendations and sharing his or her expertise with the primary care 
provider and care manager. The collaborative care model not only 
improves patient care experiences and outcomes, it has also been shown 
to reduce overall health care costs. One large trial, which focused on 
depression care in primary care clinics in five States, found 
substantial reductions in overall health costs, with an overall rate of 
return on investment of $6 in health care costs saved for each $1 spent 
on depression care.
  Mental illness affects the lives of so many Americans. This May, in 
honor of National Mental Health Awareness Month, let us commit to 
working together to improve mental health care in our country by 
building on the success of integrated care models like the 
collaborative care model and the innovative system at Mosaic's 
Integrated Health Center.

                          ____________________