[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 640 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 640
Addressing the national crisis of suicide among minority adolescents.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 1, 2023
Mr. Espaillat (for himself, Mr. Trone, and Mrs. Watson Coleman)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Addressing the national crisis of suicide among minority adolescents.
Whereas suicide is a mental health issue that affects individuals and families
around the Nation regardless of personal attributes such as race,
religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, nation of birth, economic
background, disability, or age;
Whereas the World Health Organization defines ``adolescent'' as children between
the ages of 10 to 19;
Whereas, over the last two decades, self-reported suicide attempts rose nearly
80 percent among Black adolescents, by far the most significant increase
of all races and ethnicities;
Whereas Black children under 13 are dying by suicide at nearly twice the rate of
White children the same age;
Whereas the COVID-19 public health emergency has disproportionately affected the
mental health of youth who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color
(BIPOC) due to--
(1) Black and Latino adolescents seeing more COVID-19-related
infections and deaths in their communities than for their White
counterparts; and
(2) Black and Latino families suffering from disproportionate economic
setbacks that lead to financial stress and instability;
Whereas the suicide rate for adolescent Native and Indigenous females is five
times higher than their White counterparts;
Whereas the American Indian and Alaska Native youth suicide rate is 2.5 times
that of the overall national average;
Whereas suicide is the leading cause of death for Asian American and Pacific
Islander (AAPI) youth aged 12 to 19 years old;
Whereas youth of color are up to twice as likely to be exposed to violent crime
in their neighborhood of residence than their White counterparts;
Whereas exposure to violent crime, and those involving firearms in particular,
engenders traumas beyond ``normal'' post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), including interpersonal distrust, feeling of shame, and
dependency that perpetuate systemic racial disparities in the United
States;
Whereas 19.7 percent of AAPI students in grades 9 to 12 seriously considered
attempting suicide in the past year;
Whereas youth of color were witness to the renewed national attention and
protests against racialized police violence when an unarmed Black man
named George Floyd was murdered during the summer of 2020;
Whereas racism against the AAPI community has been exacerbated due to
xenophobic, harmful rhetoric to describe the origins of the coronavirus
pandemic;
Whereas repeated experiences of racialized violence and prejudice may lead to
racial trauma which can manifest as depression and anxiety;
Whereas racial inequities in mental health are a result of historical oppression
and discriminatory practices that have deliberately and unjustly
targeted marginalized communities;
Whereas structural racism has resulted in limited access to health care for
BIPOC adolescents;
Whereas the lack of cultural understanding and competency by health care
providers can cause individuals to delay or forgo care and may
contribute to underdiagnosis of mental illness in people from racially
and ethnically diverse populations;
Whereas BIPOC adolescents are significantly less likely than White youth to
receive treatment for their depression overall because of negative
perceptions of mental health services and providers within their
communities; and
Whereas the lack of school resource funding results in a lack of school-based
mental health services, especially in schools whose populations are
predominately made up of students of color: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives
that--
(1) adolescents experiencing mental health concerns,
including stress, depression, anxiety, and, among some groups,
increased risk for suicide, should have readily available
resources to effectively understand and ensure their needs are
addressed;
(2) no adolescent or student, regardless of their race,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, nation of birth, or
economic background, should face mental health issues alone;
(3) socioeconomic disparities, stigma, and unequitable
access to health care resources are all barriers that prevent
youth from receiving the help they need;
(4) public officials should utilize their respective
platforms to increase awareness and culturally competent
resources in support of social, emotional, and mental health
needs of adolescents, especially in support of students of
color and groups more susceptible to risk;
(5) ensuring that students of color have school-based
mental health services is an essential part in mitigating
increased suicide rates;
(6) through culturally relevant treatment, suicide
prevention efforts must address the lived experiences of youth
of color; and
(7) Congress should commit to adequately fund existing
programs and organizations that are working to close the racial
and socioeconomic disparities in mental health.
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