; sense of Congress (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide have a mental health or substance use disorder, and The Lancet estimates that nearly 130,000,000 additional cases of major depressive and anxiety disorders globally in 2020 resulted from the COVID–19 pandemic. (2) According to WHO, depression is among the primary causes of illness and disability in adolescents. One-half of mental health disorders emerge by age 14, and 14 percent of children and adolescents worldwide experience mental health conditions, the majority of whom do not seek care, receive care, or have access to care. (3) According to the United Nations, more than 1 out of every 5 individuals in conflict-affected areas has a mental health disorder. Roughly 1,500,000,000, or 2 out of every 3 of the world’s children under 18 years of age live in countries affected by conflict, and more than 1 out of every 6 children live in conflict zones. A greater number of children live in areas affected by armed conflict and war now than at any other point this century. The mental health burden in conflict-affected contexts is twice the global average. (4) According to the World Health Organization, risk factors that increase susceptibility to mental health disorders include poverty and hunger, chronic health conditions, trauma or maltreatment, social exclusion and discrimination, and exposure to and displacement by war or conflict. These risk factors, along with demographic risk factors, manifest at all stages in life. Preliminary research already illustrates that the COVID–19 pandemic has increased communities’, families’, and individuals’ risk factors for multiple types of adversity and compounded preexisting conditions and vulnerabilities. (5) According to a Lancet Commission report, allocations for mental health have never risen above 1 percent of health-related global development assistance. Estimates indicate that child and adolescent mental health