[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 831 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 831
Designating October 10, 2022, as ``World Mental Health Day''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 15, 2022
Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Cassidy) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating October 10, 2022, as ``World Mental Health Day''.
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 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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