U.S. Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have partnered to introduce a bipartisan bill focused on youth mental health.
The Youth Mental Health Research Act would establish a youth mental health research initiative through the National Institute of Mental Health, in collaboration with the directors for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
The bill would also support social, behavioral, cognitive and developmental research to increase tools to support at-risk youth and improve mental health interventions in clinical and community settings.
"As the United States contends with a devastating, growing youth mental health crisis, it is more important now than ever that we take meaningful action to protect our nation's children," Ms. Britt said in an Oct. 19 news release. "As a mom, I am proud to introduce this legislation that would support critical research and enable evidence-based solutions to this generational challenge."