September 29, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 169 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page S5986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 738--RECOGNIZING SUICIDE AS A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH 
  PROBLEM AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF SEPTEMBER AS 
                 ``NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH''

  Mr. CASSIDY (for himself and Mr. Murphy) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 738

       Whereas suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the 
     United States and the second leading cause of death among 
     individuals between 10 and 34 years of age;
       Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the ``CDC''), 1 
     individual in the United States dies by suicide every 11 
     minutes, resulting in around 48,000 deaths each year in the 
     United States;
       Whereas, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
     20 members of the Armed Forces on active duty, members of the 
     reserve components of the Armed Forces who are not on active 
     duty, or veterans die by suicide each day, resulting in more 
     than 7,000 deaths each year;
       Whereas, between 1999 and 2018, the suicide rate in the 
     United States increased by 35 percent from 10.5 suicides for 
     every 100,000 individuals to 14.2 suicides for every 100,000 
     individuals;
       Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 
     1,400,000 suicide attempts each year in the United States;
       Whereas more than half of individuals who die by suicide 
     did not have a known mental health condition;
       Whereas, according to the CDC, many factors contribute to 
     suicide among individuals with and without known mental 
     health conditions, including challenges related to 
     relationships, substance use, physical health, and stress 
     regarding work, money, legal problems, or housing;
       Whereas, according to the CDC, suicide results in an 
     estimated $70,000,000,000 each year in combined medical and 
     work-loss costs in the United States;
       Whereas the stigma associated with mental health conditions 
     and suicidality hinders suicide prevention by discouraging 
     at-risk individuals from seeking life-saving help and can 
     further traumatize survivors of suicide loss and individuals 
     with lived experience of suicide;
       Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many individuals 
     to experience emotional distress and anxiety;
       Whereas, according to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly 
     Report of the CDC, risk factors for suicide, such as anxiety 
     and depression, have increased considerably since the onset 
     of restrictions to help slow the spread of COVID-19; and
       Whereas September is an appropriate month to designate as 
     ``National Suicide Prevention Month'' because September 10th 
     is World Suicide Prevention Day, a day recognized 
     internationally and supported by the World Health 
     Organization: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes suicide as a serious and preventable public 
     health problem of the United States and each State;
       (2) supports the designation of September as ``National 
     Suicide Prevention Month'';
       (3) declares suicide prevention as a priority;
       (4) acknowledges that no single suicide prevention program 
     or effort will be appropriate for all populations or 
     communities;
       (5) promotes awareness that there is no single cause of 
     suicide; and
       (6) supports strategies to increase access to high-quality 
     mental health and suicide prevention services and substance-
     use disorder treatments.

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