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SENATE CONCURRENT R ESOLUTION NO. 4
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY SENATORS GRAY-JACKSON, Cronk
Introduced: 4/15/25
Referred: Health and Social Services
A RESOLUTION
Designating May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month; and designating May 4 - 10, 1
2025, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. 2
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
WHEREAS one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness each 4
year, and it is estimated that over 108,000 adults in the state have a mental health condition, 5
such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and a growing number of other 6
debilitating behavioral health conditions; and 7
WHEREAS one in six youths aged 6 - 17 in the United States experiences a mental 8
health disorder each year; and 9
WHEREAS, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and 10
Prevention, the peak age of onset of a mental health disorder is adolescence and early 11
adulthood, with half of all mental health conditions beginning by age 14, and 75 percent by 12
age 24; and 13
WHEREAS it is estimated that over 8,000 youths in the state aged 12 - 17 experience 14
depression, 62.9 percent of whom did not receive care in the last year; and 15
WHEREAS high school students with significant symptoms of depression are more 16 34-LS0902\A
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than twice as likely to drop out as students without symptoms of depression; and 1
WHEREAS more than half of the individuals in the United States with mental health 2
conditions did not receive treatment last year; and 3
WHEREAS, with residents of the state struggling to receive needed mental health 4
care, 29,000 adults in the state did not receive the care last year, with cost being the reason for 5
which over 42 percent of those individuals did not receive the care; and 6
WHEREAS 377,470 residents of the state live in communities that do not have 7
enough mental health professionals; and 8
WHEREAS anyone is susceptible to experiencing mental health difficulties, just as 9
anyone is susceptible to physical health issues and emergencies; and 10
WHEREAS, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four 11
patients receiving long-term treatment with an antipsychotic medication will experience 12
tardive dyskinesia; and 13
WHEREAS tardive dyskinesia affects approximately 600,000 people in the United 14
States, and nearly 70 percent of Americans living with tardive dyskinesia have not yet been 15
diagnosed; and 16
WHEREAS, although tardive dyskinesia may look or feel different from day to day, it 17
is a chronic condition and symptoms may be persistent; and 18
WHEREAS one in eight emergency department visits in the United States is related 19
to mental illness or substance use disorder; and 20
WHEREAS suicide is a public health problem and leading cause of death in the 21
United States; and 22
WHEREAS the state ranks second in the nation in suicides per capita, suicide is the 23
second leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 in the state, and, 24
on average, one person dies by suicide every 48 hours in the state; and 25
WHEREAS it is more important than ever to build a stronger mental health system 26
that provides the care, support, and services needed to help people build better lives; and 27
WHEREAS the state of an individual's mental health affects the individu
al's ability to 28
navigate the environment and societal relationships, adapt to changing situations, and develop 29
healthy coping strategies; and 30
WHEREAS addressing complicated mental health needs with coordinated, 31 34-LS0902\A
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comprehensive mental health services provides a lifeline for families and individuals 1
struggling with the complex process of locating appropriate treatment; and 2
WHEREAS residents of the state must work together to overcome and eliminate the 3
discrimination and stigma that may deter individuals from seeking consistent support and 4
adequate mental health treatment; 5
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages all residents of the 6
state to recognize those affected by mental health issues and the important role that support, 7
acceptance, and mental health services play in enriching the lives of the residents of the state; 8
and be it 9
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates May 4 - 10, 10
2025, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week; and be it 11
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates May 2025 as 12
Mental Health Awareness Month. 13