Issue Position: Health Care - Addressing Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues

An estimated 15 to 18 percent of Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Mental disorders, ranging from mild depression to severe psychological impairment, have the potential to disrupt one's life, family and employment. The issue is compounded by the stigma that surrounds mental health treatment.

I am especially concerned with the incidence of mental health and substance abuse disorders among our nation's youth, which has a profound impact on our families, our schools and our communities. Mental health and substance abuse disorders among children, youth and young adults are major threats to health and well-being that often carry over into adulthood. 1 in 10 children and adolescents suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment, yet more than 80 percent of children who need mental health treatment do not receive it. When they do, it is on average a decade after the onset of illness. Across the United States, there are insufficient resources for school-based counseling professionals, and often students do not get the help they need. The current national average ratio of students to school counselors in elementary and secondary schools is 561 to 1. The short- and long-term consequences of untreated childhood mental disorders are costly, in both human and fiscal terms.

One of the most dangerous symptoms of mental illness is violence to self and others. The rate of suicide among our nation's youth is shocking. Suicide represents the third leading cause of death for young individuals between the ages of 10-24, and the second leading cause of death among college-aged students. Mental health problems are implicated in 90 percent of those deaths.

I believe we must increase awareness about mental health issues, increasing prevention efforts and securing access to quality treatment. I will continue to work for parity of mental health care, making sure that all insurers provide equal access to these necessary services. As mental health promotion and prevention practices can impede the onset, or reduce the severity, of disorders, I will also continue to advance a prevention-based agenda with my colleagues in Congress.

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