Pennsylvania HR 572: A Resolution recognizing June 27, 2026, as "PTSD Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 3655
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 572
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY RUSNOCK, PIELLI, VENKAT, DOUGHERTY, HOWARD,
ZIMMERMAN, RIVERA, STEELE, GALLAGHER, JAMES, DEASY AND
SANCHEZ, JUNE 18, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 22, 2026
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing June 27, 2026, as "PTSD Awareness Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental
health condition that can occur in individuals who have
experienced or witnessed a traumatic event or a series of
traumatic events; and
WHEREAS, PTSD is often associated with combat veterans,
though it can affect an individual of any age; and
WHEREAS, PTSD is also referred to as post-traumatic stress
injury, or PTSI, to signal its treatability; and
WHEREAS, Symptoms of PTSD may appear in the months or years
following trauma and may include flashbacks, nightmares,
insomnia, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about the
traumatic event; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 70% of adults in the United States
have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives
and approximately 20% of those adults develop PTSD; and
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WHEREAS, Individuals with PTSD often experience co-occurring
conditions, including depression, substance use disorder, memory
problems and other physical or mental health conditions; and
WHEREAS, In the United States, approximately 12 million
adults have PTSD in any given year; and
WHEREAS, PTSD occurs twice as frequently in women as in men
and at higher rates among individuals who are poor, unmarried or
socially isolated; and
WHEREAS, Records of PTSD symptoms in the United States date
back to the early 19th century among civilians involved in
catastrophic events and soldiers who fought in the American
Civil War; and
WHEREAS, In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association added
PTSD to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders based on research involving Vietnam War veterans,
Holocaust survivors and sexual trauma victims; and
WHEREAS, Described early on as "shell shock" among veterans,
PTSD remains more common among veterans than civilians,
particularly among service members who were deployed; and
WHEREAS, First responders, including firefighters, police
officers, emergency medical services providers and
telecommunicators, experience increased rates of PTSD, which
affects nearly one in seven first responders; and
WHEREAS, Treatments for PTSD, including talk therapy and
medication, are available, though only approximately one-half of
individuals with PTSD seek treatment; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize June
27, 2026, as "PTSD Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania to raise
awareness of PTSD and reduce the stigma associated with PTSD.
20260HR0572PN3655 - 2 -
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