US lawmakers are calling for research into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on mental health.
Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Tim Kaine of Virginia told CNN exclusively that they plan to enact the Covid-19 Mental Health Research Act Tuesday afternoon. The legislation would spend $ 100 million a year on the National Institute of Mental Health for five years to fund research into the pandemic’s effects on mental health.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko and Republican Rep. John Katko, both from New York, are introducing the House version of the legislation, according to Klobuchar’s office.
“Health workers have guided our communities through this crisis, with many feeling acute stress and anxiety,” Klobuchar said in a statement to CNN.
Children, adolescents and seniors have also had a unique impact. To understand how we can best support them – and all Americans – in this difficult time, we need to assess the magnitude of this mental health crisis and take steps to promote recovery and healing, ‘she said.
The proposed bill would support research examining the pandemic’s toll on mental health, particularly on health professionals. Other funding would support post-pandemic mental health response and suicide prevention.
Tonko said a focus on mental health will be part of “rebuilding America” after the pandemic, especially for medical professionals and aid workers.
“Every day they come to work, risk exposure to this deadly virus and carry an unimaginable emotional burden on us, all to keep our families and communities safe. We need to do more to support them and ensure that we work to get rid of even the hidden costs they bear, ”he said, adding that he is urging his colleagues in the House and Senate to move the legislation forward.
A study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry in February, found that emergency room visits related to mental health, suicide attempts, overdoses, intimate partner violence, and suspicion of child abuse were generally higher during the pandemic last year than the same time period. years before. .
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