WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-founders of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, passed a Senate resolution to raise the alarm about the mental health care crisis American children face and highlight the urgent need to increase our investment in mental health care for children and adolescents.
Over the past few decades, mental health disorders have steadily risen among children and adolescents, with nearly half of adolescents in the United States facing a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. Youth mental health has become a major public health concern: suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10- to 14-year-olds in the United States. Furthermore, many children and adolescents in rural or underserved areas lack appropriate mental health care infrastructure to meet their needs.
“As the father of three school-aged boys, I’ve witnessed firsthand the struggles that young Americans experience every day,” said Senator Padilla. “Our country is facing a children’s mental health crisis, and I’m proud to see the Senate come together unanimously to say we need to step up and speak up to find bipartisan solutions to address it head on. Our resolution recognizes the urgent need to provide America’s youth with accessible, humane mental health care — because no one should be forced to suffer in silence.”
“We owe it to the next generation to prioritize mental health care and ensure that quality mental health services are both widely available and easily accessible,” said Senator Tillis. “The mental health challenges faced by our youth today are staggering, but together, we can equip them with the necessary resources and support services to thrive now and in the future.”
“The United States is in the midst of a youth mental health and addiction crisis. More than 40% of teenagers report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and youth suicide attempts, self-injury, and drug overdoses are rising. While no single factor is to blame, the acute lack of mental health and substance use treatment options for youth, the rise in social and online media, and pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic have played significant roles. We applaud the leadership of Sens. Padilla (D-CA) and Tillis (R-NC) for recognizing the importance of this issue and raising awareness and support for the mental health of America’s youth. The Bipartisan Policy Center and BPC Action look forward to working with Congress to identify and advance bipartisan policy solutions to the youth mental health and substance use crisis,” said Michele Stockwell, President, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Action.
“Time and time again, we have heard our peers share stories of harm and inadequacy within the mental health system, punctuating a pressing need for historic and innovative investments into mental health care that transcend a one-size fits all approach. S.R.769 is directly written and informed by young people across the United States who have experienced mental illness, embodying the importance of lived experience in informing and determining measures that leaders at all levels of government can utilize. We are incredibly grateful to Senator Padilla and Senator Tillis for leading this informed step in achieving consensus and recognition around the ongoing adolescent mental health crisis,” said Saanvi Arora, Executive Director, Youth Power Project.
Specifically, the resolution expresses the need for the federal government to work collaboratively to increase awareness of mental health disorders for children and adolescents and promote evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies. The resolution also highlights the need to empower rural and underserved communities with adequate mental health resources for young people. The Senators encouraged states to adopt community-based mental health care, reaffirming their commitment to destigmatizing mental health challenges.
Senator Padilla is a strong advocate for expanding mental health care access, especially for underserved communities. Last year, Padilla and Tillis announced the launch of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus to serve as a forum for Senators to collaborate on and promote bipartisan legislation and solutions, hold events to raise awareness of critical mental health issues, and destigmatize mental health. Earlier this year, Padilla and Tillis announced a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposal to improve the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which contains provisions from their Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023 to expedite the process of connecting 9-8-8 Lifeline callers with their nearest call center so they can receive appropriate care and resources. He also recently urged the Biden Administration to finalize the proposed mental health parity rule. Padilla previously introduced a trio of bills to address the unique mental health needs of military children, Latinos, and farm workers.
Full text of the resolution is available here.
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