News Details

Sherrod Brown Offers National Mental Health Statement
May 21, 2008

Statement for the Congressional Record
National Mental Health Month
by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Mr. President, May is National Mental Health Month.

This proud tradition was started over 50 years ago. Each May, the mental health community comes together to raise awareness about mental health disorders and to celebrate recovery. The last 50 years have seen significant progress in the treatment of mental disorders. We know that with treatment and support, it is possible to recover.

Dr. Fred Frese knows this first hand. I met Dr. Frese at a roundtable that I held in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Frese served as Director of Psychology at Western Reserve Psychiatric Hospital for 15 years. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.

He has authored and reviewed numerous articles and chapters, lectured in several countries and served on the boards of trustees of various organizations that work on behalf of individuals with disabilities. In 1999, Dr. Frese received the Hildreth Award, the highest honor given by the American Psychological Association’s Psychologists in Public Service Division. Over the course of his career, he has testified numerous times before both houses of the United States Congress.

Dr. Frese’s career has been remarkable. His life has been remarkable. He has been living with paranoid schizophrenia since 1966. Dr. Frese is remarkable. But his recovery is not unusual.

Many people stricken with mental illness can and do recover with appropriate treatment. But the stigma associated with mental health disorders can discourage people from getting the help they need. The U.S. Surgeon General’s seminal report on mental health cites stigma as a significant barrier to recovery.

I am proud to say that Ohio’s Departments of Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services are doing something about it. They have launched a “Think Outside the Stigma” campaign, a public information effort to increase awareness about the misperceptions associated with mental health and substance use disorders. Today I am introducing a resolution commending this campaign. My colleague in the house, Congressman Zack Space, is offering a companion resolution.

Imagine a world where individuals with mental disorders are supported and treated, not marginalized and discriminated against. Imagine a world where we see individuals first and disability second. Imagine the wealth of talent and resources that individuals with mental illness can realize with treatment.

Individuals like Dr. Frese.

We must work together to overcome the unfair and unnecessary burden of stigma associated with mental illness and substance use disorders.

We know that treatment can work. We know that people can recover. And we know that Americans are well worth the investment.