117th CONGRESS 2d Session |
Supporting the designation of the week of May 1, 2022, as “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week” and May 5, 2022, as “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day”.
May 2, 2022
Mr. King (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Supporting the designation of the week of May 1, 2022, as “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week” and May 5, 2022, as “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day”.
Whereas children in the United States were already experiencing a public health crisis of mental and behavioral health before the additional challenges of the COVID–19 pandemic;
Whereas a 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that mental disorders affect between 13 and 20 percent of children each year and cost $247,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that nearly ½ of adolescents (49.5 percent of the population aged 13 to 18) will experience a mental disorder;
Whereas, in 2019, according to the Census Bureau, over 11 percent of children aged 3 to 17 received treatment or counseling from a mental health professional;
Whereas suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 24, and 90 percent of youth suicide deaths involve an underlying mental illness;
Whereas, during the COVID–19 pandemic, increased isolation and collective trauma has led to an increase in demand for mental health services for children;
Whereas, compared with 2019, the proportion of visits of children to emergency rooms for concerns relating to mental health increased between approximately 24 and 31 percent;
Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has laid bare the inequities in the mental health delivery system for all populations in the United States, specifically impacting children and adults who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences; and
Whereas the stigma surrounding mental and behavioral health persists, and acknowledging this public health crisis and creating awareness as early as possible is as important as ever: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
(1) recognizes the importance of connecting children with appropriate mental and behavioral health services and supports;
(2) seeks to create awareness for the additional challenges children and their families have faced during the COVID–19 pandemic due to isolation from family and peers, barriers to services, and exposure to traumas;
(3) supports programs and services aimed at expanding access to care, building resiliency, and addressing trauma; and
(4) shows appreciation and gratitude for family members, friends, educators, mental and behavioral health service providers, and others in their support for the mental health and well-being of children.