Parsons

SenatorKatelynParsons
Mr.Rogers
Government
1November2015
MockCongressResearchPaper
Mentalhealthissomethingthataffectseverysinglepersonontheplanet.Contraryto
popularbelief,thereisstillalotofworktobedoneconcerningthementalhealthofAmerican
citizensinparticular.Fromdepression,toOCD,toADD,andSchizophreniatheAmerican
peoplehavealongwaytogointermsofhealingandtreatment.Mostmilitarybase,postoffice,
highschool,andcollegeshootingshappenbecausesomeonewithamentalhealthproblemhas
eithernotbeentreatedornotbeentreatedcorrectly.BothinCongressandinstatelegislatures
aroundthecountry,politiciansaredebatingproposalsforincreasedsupervisionofthementally
ill,andmandatoryreportingofthoseseenasposingadangertothemselvesorothers
(Lexington).Mostmentalillnessescanbepreventedanddetectedfromasearlyanageas7,
leadingresearcherstobelievethatmentalhealthscreeninginelementaryschoolisthekeyto
effectivetreatmentandprevention(Durlack11516).The28thAmendmenttotheConstitution
shouldbepassedtoensurethehealthandsafetyofthementallyill,theirfamiliesandpeers,as
wellastheirfellowAmericans.
Peoplewhohaveundiagnosedmentaldisordersareoftenathreattothemselvesbecause
theydonotknowwhatishappeninginsidetheirownbrain.Thisposesaseriousquestionasto
howmanyAmericansarelivinginoblivionofadiseasethatcouldkillthemand/orothers.In
Australia,thepsychiatricfrontgroup,BeyondBlue,mailedadepressionscreeningcardto

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everyhouseholdinthecountry,basedonsubjectivequestionsthatidentifiedhalfthepopulation
asneedingantidepressants(Fetterer).ThisraisesthequestionastohowmanyAmericansare
livingobliviousofsuchseriousillnesses.Mentalillnessescankillinverydirectwayssuchas
suicidewhichisatthetopofthelistoftheleadingcausesofdeathinyoungpeopleinall
countriesintheworld,includingthepoorestcountriesoftheworld(Patel).Thereneedstobe
moreunderstandingofthesementalillnessesthroughbetterawarenessandresearch.Shootersin
previousmassacreshadunmetmentalhealthneeds.Bywideningaccesstoservices,thethinking
goes,professionalscouldintervenebeforeatragedyoccurs(Kliff).Ifprofessionalsareableto
diagnoseandproperlytreatthementallyillinearlystages,itcouldsavelivesinthebigpicture.
Notonlyisthewelfareandsafetyofthosewhohavementalillnessesatrisk,butthehealthand
wellbeingoftheirfamiliesandpeersarealsoatstake.
Familiesandpeersofthosewhohavementalillnessesareequallyasaffectedbythis
handicapfinanciallyandemotionally.Therearemanymedicalbillsthathavetobepaidifa
familymemberissickaswellasthecontainmentandsubductionoftheillness.Financingisa
criticalfactorintherealizationofaviablementalhealthsystem.Itisthemechanismbywhich
plansandpoliciesaretranslatedintoactionthroughtheallocationofresources(WorldHealth
Organization).AcknowledgingthefinancialneedoftheAmericanpeople,the28thAmendment
wouldhelprelievethestressputonfamiliesofthosesufferingbyfundingmorementalhealth
clinicsinallstatesthatcomplywiththeamendment.Statescut$1.8billionfromtheirmental
healthbudgetsduringthe2008recessionthathasnotbeenreimplemented(Honberg).The28th
Amendmentwouldincreasetheamountofspendingbythenationalgovernmenttomakemental
healthtestsavailabletoallpeopleinAmerica.Familiesandpeersofthosewhoareillarenotthe

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onlyoneswhoareaffectedbythetreatmentandpreventionofmentalhealth,butallofAmerica
isaffected.
Themorepeoplethatgettestedformentalillness,thesafertheworldwillbe.Depression
isthemostcommontypeofmentalillness,andisaffectingmorethan26%oftheU.S.adult
populationandisestimatedthatbytheyear2020,depressionwillbethesecondleadingcauseof
disabilitythroughouttheworld,trailingonlyischemicheartdisease(MentalHealthBasics).If
someoneinIowa,oranystategetstestedformentalillnessandfindstreatmentbeforetheillness
progresses,everyoneelseinthecountryandthereforetheworldisbetterprotectedbecauseofit.
38statesrequireorauthorizetheuseofcertainmentalhealthrecordsforuseinafirearm
backgroundcheck,accordingtotheLawCentertoPreventGunViolence,aSanFranciscobased
nonprofitthattracksstatelevelgunlegislation(MentalHealthReportingPolicySummary).Itis
believedbyalargeamountofpeoplethatgunviolenceislinkedorassociatedwithmental
health.Thepersonalitytraitsthatcharacterizeapsychopath,scientistsdeemcancontributeto
preventionandtreatmentstrategiesthatimprovepublichealthandsafety(Skeem).Ifwe
significantlyimprovetreatmentofmentalhealth,gunviolencewillsubsidesubstantiallyaswell.
Althoughthetopicofgunviolenceandmentalhealtharecontroversial,theyarebothintegral
partstopreventingshootingsandlawlessbloodshedwithinourborders.
Somemaysaythattheimplementationofnationwidementalhealthtestsisaviolationof
ourhumanrightsandcannotbecarriedoutinacosteffectivemanner.Thisisabipartisan
amendmentinthatitappealstobothmajorpoliticalparties.TheDemocratswillbepleasedto
knowthatmentalhealthtestswouldeffectivelyusetaxpayermoneytokeepappropriatelytreat
citizensmentalhealthasneeded.Republicanswillbepleasedtoknowthatpeoplearestill

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allowedtobuyguns,theyjusthavetohavetakenamentalhealthtestfirst.Thisamendmentis
notaboutguncontrolorthebiggercosteither,itisaboutthehealthandsafetyofallAmericans
andgettingpeoplehealthywhoneedhelpandbeingawarethattheyhaveamentalillness.
About10percentoftheAmericanadultpopulationwillhaveamooddisorder,suchas
depressionorbipolar(Kessler).YoucouldbeoneoftheoneintenpeopleinAmericathathavea
mooddisorder,withthe28thAmendmenttotheConstitutionyouwouldbecoveredandtaken
careofbythegovernment.Whenyouputallthementalillnessestogether,theyaccountfor
roughly15percentofthetotalglobalburdenofdisease(Patel).Whenyouthinkaboutallthe
otherdiseasesintheworld,theamountofmentallyillisalargeportionoftheworldshealth
problems,soitbegsthequestionastowhyonly6.2percentofAmerica'smedicalexpenditures
arecovered.SomemaytrytoputdowntheideaofmentalhealthscreeningsofallAmericans
down,butmentalillnesseswillpervadeaslongaspeoplecontinuetobeborn.
YourfellowAmericansthankyoufortakingthegovernmentissuedmentalhealthtestas
statedinthe28thAmendmenttotheConstitutionensuringthehealthandsafetyofthementally
illaswellastheirfamiliesandpeers.ThisAmendmenttotheConstitution,onceimplemented
willraiseawarenessformentalhealth,createabaselineforstudies,andcreatearecordtokeep
ourcountryaccountableforthemaintenanceofhealthforallofourcitizens.Mentalhealthis
essentialtopersonalwellbeing,familyandinterpersonalrelationships,andtheabilityto
contributetocommunityorsociety(MentalHealthandMentalDisorders).M
entalhealthaffects
everyonethatlivesinourcountry,notjustthoseaffectedandshouldnotbeasubjectoftaboo,
butexplorationandcuriosity.Jointhefighttospreadawarenessandmakementalhealthknown
totheworld.

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