|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, The observance of Mental Illness Awareness Day on |
|
February 19, 2015, brings much-needed attention to a serious and |
|
often misunderstood issue that affects the lives of millions of |
|
Texans; and |
|
WHEREAS, An estimated one in four American adults suffers |
|
from a mental disorder in a given year, and one-fifth of young |
|
people ages 13 to 18 experience a mental health condition that |
|
causes severe functional impairment; the most common form of mental |
|
illness is anxiety disorders, which are believed to affect 18 |
|
percent of the adult population; and |
|
WHEREAS, Major depression, which affects 6.7 percent of |
|
adults, is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is |
|
associated with a significant risk of suicide; in the |
|
15-to-24-year-old age group, suicide accounts for 20 percent of all |
|
deaths annually, and over 90 percent of those who die by suicide had |
|
one or more mental disorders; and |
|
WHEREAS, The impact of mental illness on military veterans is |
|
a growing cause for concern; among service members who have been |
|
deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, one in five has been formally |
|
diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and experts believe |
|
that many more could be affected because of inadequacies in |
|
screening and diagnosis; a particularly worrying trend is the high |
|
suicide rate of veterans relative to the general population, with |
|
an estimated 22 committing suicide every day; and |
|
WHEREAS, For some, the stigma associated with mental illness |
|
can result in discrimination and bullying and take a damaging toll |
|
on relationships with loved ones; although mentally ill individuals |
|
are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators, |
|
there is a widespread perception that persons living with mental |
|
health conditions pose a threat to others; and |
|
WHEREAS, In spite of its prevalence and debilitating effects, |
|
mental illness often goes undiagnosed and untreated; roughly half |
|
of all people experiencing homelessness have severe mental health |
|
or substance abuse issues, and far more Texans with serious mental |
|
illness are in jails and prisons than in hospitals; and |
|
WHEREAS, Today, because of new discoveries in genetics, |
|
modern brain research, and psychiatry, mental illness is no longer |
|
the frightening mystery that it once was; advances in medical |
|
science have revealed that serious mental disorders have a |
|
biological basis similar to physical ailments like heart disease |
|
and diabetes; moreover, like the heart, the human brain is a vital |
|
organ whose illnesses can be successfully treated; and |
|
WHEREAS, Sophisticated medicines can greatly ease the |
|
suffering of patients with mental illness and help many return to |
|
normal, productive, and rewarding lives; according to a 2009 |
|
report, increased mental health expenditures could also be a strong |
|
economic stimulus, with a potential return of $23 for every $1 spent |
|
on mental health services in Texas; and |
|
WHEREAS, Agencies and organizations across the state and |
|
nation are committed to improving the quality of life of persons |
|
with mental illness by promoting treatment and prevention, |
|
eliminating stigma, increasing housing opportunities, and |
|
advancing smart investment in mental health services; Mental |
|
Illness Awareness Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the |
|
commendable efforts of these groups to ensure that effective mental |
|
health care is available for every Texan in need; now, therefore, be |
|
it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
Legislature hereby recognize February 19, 2015, as Mental Illness |
|
Awareness Day at the State Capitol and encourage all Texans to learn |
|
more about this important health matter. |