This resolution supports the goals of Bebe Moore Campbell BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, including bringing attention to the mental health disparities faced by communities of color.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 538 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 538
Supporting the goals and ideals of Bebe Moore Campbell Black,
indigenous, and people of color (``BIPOC'') Mental Health Awareness
Month in July 2021.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 19, 2021
Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Correa,
Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mrs. Napolitano, and Mr. Keating)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Oversight and Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of Bebe Moore Campbell Black,
indigenous, and people of color (``BIPOC'') Mental Health Awareness
Month in July 2021.
Whereas July 2021 is Bebe Moore Campbell BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month;
Whereas the goals of Bebe Moore Campbell BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month,
formerly known as ``Minority Mental Health Awareness Month'', are to--
(1) recognize disparities in the incidence of mental health-related
challenges faced by Black, indigenous, and people of color (referred to in
this preamble as ``BIPOC'') communities;
(2) raise awareness of the systemic drivers of those disparities;
(3) educate patients, caregivers, and the family members of individuals
who may be in need of care on the importance of recognizing the signs of
mental illness, seeking evaluation and accepting diagnosis, receiving and
adhering to mental health treatment, and counseling;
(4) highlight the necessity for culturally informed and culturally
effective mental health services in order to increase receptivity to
treatment among communities of color, reducing social and cultural stigma;
(5) underscore the need to dismantle the barriers to access faced by
individuals who seek mental health care services; and
(6) overcome and repair the mental harm and trauma that are experienced
by people of color and caused by systematic racism and racial bias;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted communities
of color, is expected to have grave and potentially long-term mental
health implications due to the traumatic stress associated with pandemic
conditions, including stress from--
(1) the loss of resources to meet immediate and future needs;
(2) grief and concerns for the safety of family and loved ones;
(3) reduced social interaction and increased isolation and loneliness;
(4) the stigma and xenophobia against Asian-American communities,
including many incidents of hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to
negative mental health outcomes; and
(5) lack of consideration for preexisting social-environmental
disparities when addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on
communities of color;
Whereas, even in nonpandemic times, the psychosocial stress of racial
discrimination, including exclusion from health, educational, social,
and economic resources, contributes to poorer health quality and higher
rates of chronic health conditions for communities of color;
Whereas BIPOC communities, already burdened by disparities in chronic illnesses
like lung disease, asthma, heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and
diabetes, disproportionately suffer from the mental health disorders
that are commonly associated with those chronic illnesses;
Whereas environmental strains, such as poverty, unsafe neighborhoods, and
chronic racial and ethnic discrimination, among other social
determinants of health, can significantly increase distress and the
overall mental and emotional well-being of poor youth of color;
Whereas an emerging body of research shows that past trauma inflicted on racial
and ethnic minorities has the potential to affect the descendants of the
survivors of that trauma;
Whereas, despite the necessity of diverse scientific and health care workforces,
as well as culturally informed and culturally effective science and
research, to address mental health disparities, including disparities in
care, and decades of efforts to diversify those workforces, there
continues to be a challenging pattern of continued underrepresentation
of people of certain genders and racial and ethnic groups in these
fields;
Whereas mental health services and supports often are not aligned with the
National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate
Services in Health and Health Care;
Whereas the lack of linguistically appropriate mental health services and the
lack of information about where to find those services decrease the
likelihood that families of color will seek help;
Whereas investment in linguistically appropriate mental health services will--
(1) reverse the trend of families of color not seeking help; and
(2) drive an increase in use of those services by people of color who
experience mental health-related challenges;
Whereas the Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human
Services has determined that Black adults are 20 percent more likely
than their White peers to report serious psychological distress;
Whereas the suicide death rate for Black youth has risen from 2.55 per 100,000
in 2007 to 4.82 per 100,000 in 2017;
Whereas Black youth under the age of 13 are twice as likely as White youth of
the same age group to die by suicide;
Whereas Black males ages 5 through 11 are more likely than their White peers to
die by suicide;
Whereas, in 2018, 42 percent of Black adults with a serious mental illness
received no treatment, compared with 35.9 percent of the total adult
population of the United States;
Whereas chronic underfunding of Federal treaty obligations for health services
for Tribal Nations has contributed to disparate mental health outcomes
for American Indians and Alaska Natives, who experience post-traumatic
stress disorder more than twice as often as the general population;
Whereas, between 2000 and 2020, the suicide rate for American Indian and Alaska
Native women and men increased by 139 percent and 71 percent,
respectively, compared with a 33-percent increase for the total adult
population in the United States;
Whereas suicide is the second-leading cause of death for American Indian and
Alaska Native youth ages 10 through 24;
Whereas the suicide rate for American Indian and Alaska Native youth is 2.5
times higher than the national average and the highest across all ethnic
and racial groups;
Whereas Latino adults and children face barriers to accessing mental health
services, including a lack of insurance, the high cost of health
services, low wages, poor transportation, work stress, and immigration
factors;
Whereas research shows that, in the Hispanic population, older adults and youth
are more susceptible than other Hispanic adults to mental distress
relating to immigration and acculturation;
Whereas, in 2018, Hispanics were 50 percent less likely to have received mental
health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas fewer treatment and prevention services reach Hispanics than other
racial or ethnic groups in the United States due to the lack of
professionals being equipped to support culturally specific challenges;
Whereas, in 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for Asian/Pacific
Islanders ages 15 through 24;
Whereas, in 2015, Asian adults with any mental illness had the lowest rates of
use of health services, prescription medication, and outpatient services
among all racial groups;
Whereas, in 2018, Asians were 60 percent less likely to have received mental
health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas Native Hawaiian youth in Hawaii have significantly higher suicide rates
than other adolescents;
Whereas, in 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for Native Hawaiians/
Pacific Islanders ages 15 through 24;
Whereas Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders face greater stigma than is faced
by the general population of the United States in accessing mental
health care;
Whereas, in 2019, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were three times less
likely to receive mental health services or to receive prescription
medications for mental health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic
Whites;
Whereas the first BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month was designated in honor of
the late Bebe Moore Campbell, who was an American author, journalist,
teacher, and mental health advocate who worked tirelessly to shed light
on the mental health needs of the Black community and other
underrepresented communities;
Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell struggled to support her daughter who battled with
mental illness and a system that prevented her daughter from getting
help and support;
Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell founded NAMI-Inglewood in a predominately Black
neighborhood to create a space that was safe for Black people to talk
about mental health concerns;
Whereas, throughout her time as an advocate, Bebe Moore Campbell made her way to
Washington, DC, and on June 2, 2008, Congress formally recognized Bebe
Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to bring
awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face
regarding mental illness in the United States;
Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell showed great dedication and commitment to moving
communities to--
(1) support mental wellness through effective treatment options; and
(2) increase access to mental health treatment and services; and
Whereas communities of color have shown deep mental health resiliency in the
face of decades and centuries of trauma and discrimination, underscoring
the efficacy and importance of resilience-focused and culturally and
contextually grounded prevention and early intervention strategies in
mental health: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the goals and
ideals of Bebe Moore Campbell BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month,
which include bringing attention to the mental health disparities faced
by communities of color in the United States, such as American Indians,
Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Blacks, Latinos, and Native Hawaiians
and other Pacific Islanders.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
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