Bill Overview
Title: Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Reauthorization Act
Description: This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 multiple suicide prevention programs and related activities with a particular focus on youth and young adults. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes grants for statewide or tribal youth suicide prevention and early intervention strategies and for mental health and substance use disorder services for college students, a working group tasked with developing a plan to carry out a public education campaign concerning access to and reducing stigma associated with mental health services at institutions of higher education, and a suicide prevention resource center that provides training and other resources regarding suicide prevention among all ages.
Sponsors: Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5]
Target Audience
Population: People worldwide affected by youth suicide prevention and mental health stigma
Estimated Size: 62000000
- The bill focuses on reauthorizing suicide prevention programs, which primarily target young people.
- The programs include grants for youth suicide prevention and early intervention strategies, indicating a focus on the 10-24 age group.
- There are specific mentions of mental health and substance use disorder services for college students, impacting individuals aged 18-24 primarily, but may also include older non-traditional students.
- The creation of a working group suggests a focus on reducing stigma around mental health services, potentially impacting the entire population, but with a special focus on the youth at educational institutes.
- A suicide prevention resource center targeting 'all ages' indicates a broader target, but the primary focus of the bill remains on youth and young adults.
Reasoning
- The suicide prevention programs target key vulnerable populations, notably youth and college students, and establish strategies to address stigma around mental health, which could improve wellbeing in those communities significantly.
- The programs proposed by the policy include widespread public education, which could gradually improve mental health awareness and service usage among young people, potentially leading to increases in Cantril wellbeing scores over time.
- Statewide and tribal programs suggest a broad reach, increasing the likelihood of impacting a diverse set of individuals across various communities.
- Budget limitations mean that only a fraction of the potential beneficiary population can see immediate benefits, with the strategy possibly requiring more gradual deployment over the extended timeline of 10 years to maximize impact.
- Given the policy targets a primarily younger demographic, the enhanced access to services, reduction of stigma, and overall mental health emphasis is expected to produce noticeable improvements in wellbeing levels for this group.
- Consideration is given to the prevalence of suicide and mental health issues in different demographic segments across the U.S. The policy impact will vary depending on existing infrastructure and outreach activities in various states and areas.
Simulated Interviews
College Student (Austin, Texas)
Age: 20 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to services through my college could be a game-changer for me.
- I think reducing the stigma around mental health is critical for students.
- This policy could help save lives, especially for students like me who may not have strong support systems.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
High School Student (Los Angeles, California)
Age: 17 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad to see a focus on destigmatizing mental health; more people need to be open about it.
- I hope this will make it easier to talk about mental health issues at school.
- Access to resources is important, and I hope this reaches all schools.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
High School Student (Rural Iowa)
Age: 15 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It can be hard to find supportive spaces in rural areas.
- I'm worried that resources might not reach us out here.
- If this policy includes rural communities, it could really help people like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Graduate Student (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The focus on youth could help me in my future career as well.
- It's essential to have training and awareness expansion, which this policy could provide.
- Experiencing better wellbeing could also enhance my performance in graduate school.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
High School Teacher (Detroit, Michigan)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this policy will provide more resources to schools.
- Training for teachers on dealing with students' mental health could be very beneficial.
- Awareness campaigns could help in reaching out to more students in need.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Barista (Phoenix, Arizona)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Programs that reach past colleges could help people like me who didn't complete a degree.
- Reducing stigma around seeking help is crucial for young adults.
- I would benefit from more local support groups and resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Software Engineer (Seattle, Washington)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a parent, I'm glad to see a focus on mental health for youth, which could support my family in the future.
- Work-related stress is real, and knowing my child will have resources later is comforting.
- Awareness from educational institutions is key.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Part-time Retail Worker (New York, New York)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More awareness around mental health could ease the pressure I feel about my future.
- Reduction of stigma is great—more people need to feel okay reaching out for help.
- Support networks through this policy might improve community mental health.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
High School Student (Miami, Florida)
Age: 16 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The focus on early intervention is important for students who are struggling.
- I hope this policy means more support from school counselors.
- Sports teams can act as a support network, but trained professionals are needed too.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Recent Graduate (Atlanta, Georgia)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Mental health services become crucial during job search stress.
- Colleges providing more career and mental health support aligns with my needs.
- I hope these programs are comprehensive and inclusive of recent graduates.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $52000000 (Low: $42000000, High: $62000000)
Year 3: $54000000 (Low: $44000000, High: $64000000)
Year 5: $58000000 (Low: $48000000, High: $68000000)
Year 10: $62000000 (Low: $51000000, High: $72000000)
Year 100: $80000000 (Low: $65000000, High: $95000000)
Key Considerations
- The bill focuses significantly on mental health outcomes rather than direct economic impacts, making measurable econometric impacts on GDP and tax revenues indirect.
- The cost estimates account for variability in implementation efficiency and the scale of programs across states and tribal areas.
- This legislation addresses a critical public health concern which may have downstream effects economically through improved mental well-being and reduced emergency healthcare needs.