00                   HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 15                                                                   
01 Designating May 2024 as Mental Health Awareness Month; and designating May 5 - 11,                                      
02 2024, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week.                                                                             
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04 WHEREAS one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness each                                     
05 year, and it is estimated that over 108,000 adults in the state have a mental health condition                          
06 such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and a growing number of other                                
07 debilitating behavioral health conditions; and                                                                          
08       WHEREAS one in six youths aged 6 - 17 in the United States experiences a mental                                 
09 health disorder each year; and                                                                                          
10       WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the peak                                  
11 age of onset of a mental health disorder is adolescence and early adulthood, with half of all                           
12 mental health conditions beginning by age 14, and 75 percent by 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 than twice as likely to drop out as students without symptoms of depression; and                                        

01       WHEREAS more than half of the individuals in the United States with mental health                               
02 conditions did not receive treatment last year; and                                                                     
03       WHEREAS, with residents of the state struggling to receive needed mental health                                 
04 care, 29,000 adults in the state did not receive the care last year, with cost being the reason for                     
05 which over 42 percent of those individuals did not receive the care; and                                                
06       WHEREAS 377,470 residents of the state live in communities that do not have                                     
07 enough mental health professionals; and                                                                                 
08       WHEREAS anyone is susceptible to experiencing mental health difficulties, just as                               
09 anyone is susceptible to physical health issues and emergencies; and                                                    
10 WHEREAS studies suggest that between 10 and 30 percent of people who take                                             
11 antipsychotic medications to treat a mental health disorder will develop a movement disorder                            
12 called tardive dyskinesia; and                                                                                          
13 WHEREAS, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four                                            
14 patients receiving long-term treatment with an antipsychotic medication will experience                                 
15 tardive dyskinesia; and                                                                                                 
16 WHEREAS tardive dyskinesia affects approximately 600,000 people in the United                                         
17 States, and nearly 70 percent of Americans living with tardive dyskinesia have not yet been                             
18 diagnosed; and                                                                                                          
19 WHEREAS, although tardive dyskinesia may look or feel different from day to day, it                                   
20 is a chronic condition and symptoms may be persistent; and                                                              
21 WHEREAS one in eight emergency department visits in the United States is related                                      
22 to mental illness or substance use disorder; and                                                                        
23 WHEREAS suicide is a public health problem and leading cause of death in the                                          
24 United States; and                                                                                                      
25 WHEREAS the state ranks third in the nation in suicides per capita, suicide is the                                    
26 second leading cause of death for individuals aged 10 - 34 in the state, and, on average, one                           
27 person dies by suicide every 48 hours in the state; and                                                                 
28 WHEREAS it is more important than ever to build a stronger mental health system                                       
29 that provides the care, support, and services needed to help people build better lives; and                             
30 WHEREAS the state of an individual's mental health affects the individual's ability to                                
31 navigate the environment and societal relationships, adapt to changing situations, and develop                          

01 healthy coping strategies; and                                                                                          
02       WHEREAS addressing complicated mental health needs with coordinated,                                            
03 comprehensive mental health services provides a lifeline for families and individuals                                   
04 struggling with the complex process of locating appropriate treatment; and                                              
05       WHEREAS residents of the state must work together to overcome and eliminate the                                 
06 discrimination and stigma that may deter individuals from seeking consistent support and                                
07 adequate mental health treatment;                                                                                       
08       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages all residents of the                                
09 state to recognize those affected by mental health issues and the important role that support,                          
10 acceptance, and mental health services play in enriching the lives of the residents of the state;                       
11 and be it                                                                                                               
12       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates May 5 - 11,                                       
13 2024, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week; and be it                                                                   
14       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates May 2024 as                                       
15 Mental Health Awareness Month.