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Mental Health Month

Floor Speech

Date: May 26, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of National Mental Health Month, which is being observed during the month of May.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, approximately one in five adults in the United States, or more than 43 million people, experience mental illness in any given year. Mental illness is responsible for lost earnings of nearly $200 billion each year.

In addition, mood disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorder, are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the United States for both youth and adults between the age of 18 and 44 years old.

National Mental Health Month was created to draw awareness to these conditions and attention to the efforts to help those who are suffering. As someone with a background in the mental health care industry, including 28 years as a therapist, a rehabilitation services manager, and a licensed nursing home administrator, this is something that is very important to me.

I signed on as a cosponsor to the resolution declaring May as Mental Health Month and remain committed to helping improve, through legislation here in Congress, the mental health of people all across this Nation.

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