,,iv  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #hhc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,may #i1 #bjah,mrs4 
,napolitano 7for herself and ,mr4       
,katko7 submitted the following         
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce     
,,resolution  ,expressing support for   
the designation of ,may #bjah as ,mental
 ,health ,month4  ,whereas the mental   
health and well-being of people in the  
,united ,states is a vital issue that   
affects not only quality of life1 but   
also the health of communities1         
families1 and economic stability2       
,whereas individuals with mental health 
conditions and other behavioral health  
disorders can and do recover with       
clinical treatment and social supports1 
including medications1 psychotherapies1 
psychosocial rehabilitation1 and peer   
support2 ,whereas recovery begins with  
self-direct care1 and parents1 families1
 and caregivers are allies in recovery  
and serve as critical members of the    

care delivery team2 ,whereas advances in
 brain science and behavioral research  
show significant promise for continued  
improvements in effective treatments of 
mental illness2 ,whereas the increasing 
diversity of our country underlies both 
the need and importance of accessing    
culturally and linguistically           
appropriate services2 ,whereas an       
estimated #dd4g million adults in the   
,united ,states experience mental       
illness2 ,whereas approximately #a in #e
 children and adolescents has a         
diagnosable mental disorder at any one  
point in time1 and #ej percent of all   
mental disorders begin by age #ad and   
#ge percent by age #bd2 ,whereas #fe to 
#gj percent of youth in contact with the
 juvenile justice system have a         
diagnosable mental health disorder2     
,whereas an estimated #aj4d million     
adults in the ,united ,states experience
 conditions such as schizophrenia1      
bipolar disorder1 and major depression2 
,whereas millions of adults in the      

,united ,states with a diagnosis of     
serious mental illness do not receive   
treatment2 ,whereas post-traumatic      
stress disorder 7,,ptsd7 impacts #ad to 
#bd percent of servicemembers and       
veterans of the wars in ,afghanistan and
 ,iraq2 ,whereas roughly #bj to #ej     
percent of all prison and jail inmates  
are diagnosed with a mental illness2    
,whereas mental illness is the leading  
cause of disability in the ,nation2     
,whereas untreated mental illness is a  
leading cause of absenteeism and        
presenteeism resulting in lost earnings 
and productivity in the workplace and   
costs the ,united ,states economy over  
#aic billion per year in lost earnings2 
,whereas suicide is the second-leading  
cause of death among individuals between
 the ages of #aj and #cd2 ,whereas #a in
 #d ,latino adolescent girls report     
contemplating suicide1 a rate higher    
than any other demographic2 ,whereas    
,native ,americans currently rank as the
 top ethnicity for suicide rates among  

young people nationwide2 ,whereas       
studies report that people with serious 
mental illness die1 on average1 #be     
years earlier than the general          
population2 ,whereas those with mental  
illness are #aa times more likely to be 
the victims of crime and abuse2 ,whereas
 the delay between a first episode of   
psychosis and onset of treatment is an  
average of #gj weeks2 ,whereas stigma1  
shame1 and discrimination associated    
with mental illness continue to persist2
 ,whereas recovery-oriented             
interventions such as supported         
employment1 supported housing1 and      
supported education have been shown to  
improve outcomes2 ,whereas the faith    
community may provide a vital link in   
ministering and serving individuals and 
families in need of mental health       
services2 ,whereas individuals connected
 to peer support services are better    
connected to their community and        
services and utilize crisis and         
emergency services less2 and ,whereas it

 would be appropriate to observe ,may   
#bjah as ,mental ,health ,month3 ,now1  
therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of    
,representatives--  7#a7 supports the   
designation of ,mental ,health ,month to
 remove the stigma associated with      
mental illness and place emphasis on    
scientific findings regarding mental    
health recovery2  7#b7 recognizes mental
 well-being is equally as important as  
physical well-being for citizens1       
communities1 businesses1 and the economy
 in the ,united ,states2  7#c7 applauds 
the coalescing of national1 community1  
medical1 and faith-based organizations  
in working to promote public awareness  
of mental health and providing critical 
information and support to the people   
and families affected by mental illness2
  7#d7 supports the finding of the      
,president's ,commission on ,mental     
,health that the ,nation's failure to   
prioritize mental health is a national  
tragedy2 and  7#e7 encourages all to    
draw on ,mental ,health ,month as an    

opportunity to promote mental well-being
 and awareness1 ensure access to        
appropriate services1 and support       
overall quality of life for those living
 with mental illness4