CA SCR127

Recognizes May 2018 as National Mental Health Awareness Month in California to enhance public awareness of mental illness

Notes that mental illness affects one in four families and costs Americans approximately $193.2 billion in lost earnings annually

Identifies that 57 million Americans have a mental disorder in any given year, but fewer than 40 percent of adults and slightly more than half of youth ages 8-15 with mental illness receive mental health services

Highlights disparities in mental health care access for lower-income communities and barriers including stigma, lack of culturally competent care, and inadequate diagnosis

Calls for improved public awareness and encourages primary care physicians to offer screenings and partner with mental health providers for appropriate referrals and diagnosis