releases: https://mcadams.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=81
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://mcadams.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=81 | McAdams bipartisan bill would spur more research into causes, prevention of suicide | 2019-10-16 | 2019 | 2019-10 | Democrat | House | UT | Ben McAdams | M001209 | mcadams.house.gov | legacy | Congressman Ben McAdams, together with Congressman Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), introduced the Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act today. The measure directs the National Science Foundation to fund competitive research grants across a range of disciplines with the goal of understanding why the rate of Americans dying by suicide is on the rise. McAdams said the legislation specifically directs the National Science Foundation to support the work of early career research to strengthen the suicide research field. Every suicide is a tragic loss of life that affects families and communities and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Encouraging more fundamental research on the biological, social and cultural, and environmental factors related to why suicide occurs is an important step towards saving lives, said McAdams. Suicide rates are on the rise in America and effecting everyone from our veterans to a new generation of children facing the untold effects of social media. Better research on the causes of suicide attempts is badly needed to help us address this crisis at its roots, said Congressman Gonzalez McAdams notes that despite progress in mental health research, current gaps exist in scientific understanding and basic knowledge of human genetic, behavioral, social, and environmental factors with potential relevance to suicide. According to the largest private funder of suicide prevention researchthe American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlyingand potentially treatablemental health condition. Specific treatments used by mental health professions, such as cognitive behavior therapyhave been proven to help people manage suicidal thoughts and behavior. But more multidisciplinary research is needed to improve our understanding of what leads to suicide attempts, including social and economic factors, technology and stigma associated with mental health conditions. McAdams said this legislation directs the National Science Foundation to collaborate with the National Institutes of Health to award competitive grants to colleges and universities and nonprofit organizations to support fundamental research across a range of disciplines and to promote development of researchers who pursue this study as a career. The research includes, but is not limited to, the basic understanding of human social behavior. AFSP finds that if someone can get through the intense and short moment of active suicidal crisis, chances are they will not die by suicide. The measure is endorsed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the American Psychological Association. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |