U.S. Representative Nathan Deal (R-Ga) Holds a Hearing On Mental Health Issues

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U.S. Representative Nathan Deal (R-Ga) Holds a Hearing On Mental Health Issues

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE: SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH HOLDS A HEARING ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

JUNE 28, 2006

SPEAKERS: U.S. REPRESENTATIVE NATHAN DEAL (R-GA) CHAIRMAN U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL BILIRAKIS (R-FL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE RALPH HALL (R-TX) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FRED UPTON (R-MI) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PAUL GILLMOR (R-OH) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES NORWOOD (R-GA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA CUBIN (R-WY) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES "CHIP" PICKERING JR. (R-MS) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE STEVE BUYER (R-IN) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPH PITTS (R-PA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MARY BONO (R-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MIKE FERGUSON (R-NJ) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL J. ROGERS (R-MI) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE SUE MYRICK (R-NC) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL BURGESS (R-TX) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN SHIMKUS (R-IL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN SHADEGG (R-AZ) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOE BARTON (R-TX) EX OFFICIO

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE SHERROD BROWN (D-OH) RANKING MEMBER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE HENRY A. WAXMAN (D-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE EDOLPHUS TOWNS (D-NY) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FRANK PALLONE JR (D-NJ) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ANNA G. ESHOO (D-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE GENE GREEN (D-TX) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TED STRICKLAND (D-OH) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE LOIS CAPPS (D-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TOM ALLEN (D-ME) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JIM DAVIS (D-FL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TAMMY BALDWIN (D-WI) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BART GORDON (D-TN) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DIANA DEGETTE (D-CO) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BOBBY L. RUSH (D-IL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN DINGELL (D-MI) EX OFFICIO

WITNESSES: RAYMOND DEPAULO, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

THOMAS INSEL, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF MENTAL HEALTH, OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

KAY JAMISON, AUTHOR AND FOUNDER, UCLA AFFECTIVE DISORDERS CLINIC

DIANE GOODING, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

JENNIFER L. MARTIN, ATTORNEY, LAW OFFICES OF JENNIFER L. MARTIN

GIL LAMPHERE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LAMPHERE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

PETER EARLEY, WRITER

[*] DEAL: Subcommittee will come to order. And the chair recognizes himself for an opening statement.

We had delayed for a just a few minutes, because we were having technical difficulty with the server, I understand, downstairs that is our webcast to the offices. I'm going to take the prerogative of proceeding with the opening statements, because my colleagues I'm sure will forgive me for not having their statements broadcast into everybody's office. But I hope they will have it finished by the time we get to our first panel.

I'm proud to say that today, we have two expert panels of witnesses appearing, and the subject of mental health and brain disease, dispelling myths and promoting recovery through awareness and treatment. And I think that, after we hear these two panels, we'll have a greater understanding of the issues related to the treatment for and the recovery from several mental illness.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 10.4 percent of American adults suffer from bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder or schizophrenia in any given year. These three diseases are included in the list of eight mental disorders that are classified as serious mental illnesses or SMIs.

The precise cause of these diseases is not clear. Scientists know that SMIs affect the physical nature of the brain, the structure of the brain, and have made progress in linking genetic markers to specific mental illnesses. Like many other serious diseases, however, the particular factors that cause SMIs are difficult to determine.

It is now accepted that bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia are biologically based diseases like diabetes, autism and a host of other physical ailments.

The biological nature of these diseases, however, cannot be separated from environmental factors that may trigger symptoms or enhance their severity.

For example, a recent study showed that if mothers with major depression were treated successfully, their children were 11 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression themselves. Clearly both genetic and environmental factors play a role in these diseas...

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