Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR190 Compare Versions

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1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 190
2	2	WHEREAS, The observance of Mental Illness Awareness Day on
3	3	February 19, 2015, brings much-needed attention to a serious and
4	4	often misunderstood issue that affects the lives of millions of
5	5	Texans; and
6	6	WHEREAS, An estimated one in four American adults suffers
7	7	from a mental disorder in a given year, and one-fifth of young
8	8	people ages 13 to 18 experience a mental health condition that
9	9	causes severe functional impairment; the most common form of
10	10	mental illness is anxiety disorders, which are believed to affect
11	11	18 percent of the adult population; and
12	12	WHEREAS, Major depression, which affects 6.7 percent of
13	13	adults, is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is
14	14	associated with a significant risk of suicide; in the
15	15	15-to-24-year-old age group, suicide accounts for 20 percent of
16	16	all deaths annually, and over 90 percent of those who die by
17	17	suicide had one or more mental disorders; and
18	18	WHEREAS, The impact of mental illness on military veterans
19	19	is a growing cause for concern; among service members who have
20	20	been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, one in five has been
21	21	formally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and
22	22	experts believe that many more could be affected because of
23	23	inadequacies in screening and diagnosis; a particularly worrying
24	24	trend is the high suicide rate of veterans relative to the
25	25	general population, with an estimated 22 committing suicide
26	26	every day; and
27	27	WHEREAS, For some, the stigma associated with mental
28	28	illness can result in discrimination and bullying and take a
29	29	damaging toll on relationships with loved ones; although
30	30	mentally ill individuals are far more likely to be victims of
31	31	violence than perpetrators, there is a widespread perception
32	32	that persons living with mental health conditions pose a threat
33	33	to others; and
34	34	WHEREAS, In spite of its prevalence and debilitating
35	35	effects, mental illness often goes undiagnosed and untreated;
36	36	roughly half of all people experiencing homelessness have severe
37	37	mental health or substance abuse issues, and far more Texans with
38	38	serious mental illness are in jails and prisons than in
39	39	hospitals; and
40	40	WHEREAS, Today, because of new discoveries in genetics,
41	41	modern brain research, and psychiatry, mental illness is no
42	42	longer the frightening mystery that it once was; advances in
43	43	medical science have revealed that serious mental disorders have
44	44	a biological basis similar to physical ailments like heart
45	45	disease and diabetes; moreover, like the heart, the human brain
46	46	is a vital organ whose illnesses can be successfully treated; and
47	47	WHEREAS, Sophisticated medicines can greatly ease the
48	48	suffering of patients with mental illness and help many return to
49	49	normal, productive, and rewarding lives; according to a 2009
50	50	report, increased mental health expenditures could also be a
51	51	strong economic stimulus, with a potential return of $23 for
52	52	every $1 spent on mental health services in Texas; and
53	53	WHEREAS, Agencies and organizations across the state and
54	54	nation are committed to improving the quality of life of persons
55	55	with mental illness by promoting treatment and prevention,
56	56	eliminating stigma, increasing housing opportunities, and
57	57	advancing smart investment in mental health services; Mental
58	58	Illness Awareness Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the
59	59	commendable efforts of these groups to ensure that effective
60	60	mental health care is available for every Texan in need; now,
61	61	therefore, be it
62	62	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
63	63	Legislature, hereby recognize February 19, 2015, as Mental
64	64	Illness Awareness Day at the State Capitol and encourage all
65	65	Texans to learn more about this important health matter.
66	66	Campbell
67	67	________________________________
68	68	President of the Senate
69	69	I hereby certify that the
70	70	above Resolution was adopted by
71	71	the Senate on February 18, 2015.
72	72	________________________________
73	73	Secretary of the Senate
74	74	________________________________
75	75	Member, Texas Senate