[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7451]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of 
National Mental Health Month, which is being observed during the month 
of May.
  According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, 
approximately one in five adults in the United States, or more than 43 
million people, experience mental illness in any given year. Mental 
illness is responsible for lost earnings of nearly $200 billion each 
year.
  In addition, mood disorders, including major depression and bipolar 
disorder, are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the 
United States for both youth and adults between the age of 18 and 44 
years old.
  National Mental Health Month was created to draw awareness to these 
conditions and attention to the efforts to help those who are 
suffering. As someone with a background in the mental health care 
industry, including 28 years as a therapist, a rehabilitation services 
manager, and a licensed nursing home administrator, this is something 
that is very important to me.
  I signed on as a cosponsor to the resolution declaring May as Mental 
Health Month and remain committed to helping improve, through 
legislation here in Congress, the mental health of people all across 
this Nation.

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