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Sponsored 109th |
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Stephanie |
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National
Mental Illness Awareness Week Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Mental Illness Awareness Week, an opportunity to educate ourselves and our constituents about mental illness in America. One of the first pieces of legislation I cosponsored in this body was the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, which requires parity for mental health services under private insurance plans. But this legislation would do something else: It would move us one step closer to eradicating the undue stigma often associated with mental illness. As many as one in five children and adolescents suffer from mental illness in the U.S., but many go untreated because of feelings of shame or guilt. Yet early detection and treatment is essential to prevent the worsening of mental health problems and to improve outcomes. Many Americans, when diagnosed with a mental illness, confront both a frightening disease and a public that can be uninformed about the nature of their illness. Through educational
campaigns like the National Mental Illness Awareness Week and smart,
targeted policy initiatives, we can look forward to overcoming the stigma
associated with mental illness in our communities and make life a little
easier for all Americans suffering from mental illness and for their
families as well.
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