Clinical depression affects one in four Americans by age 75.

In Friday’s Health Beat, Jane Stevens reported on recently released information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that states:

Mental illnesses -- including depression, suicide and PTSD -- account for a larger proportion of disability in developed countries than any other group of illnesses, including cancer and heart disease.

And the costs associated with these mental illnesses are staggering. Ileana Arias, principal deputy director of the CDC is quoted as saying “…we estimated about $300 billion in 2002.”

However, the programs and services that are in place to treat the costly consequences of mental illness continue to face historic budget cuts nationwide.

Earlier this summer the New York Times ran a lengthy article about a mental health worker in Massachusetts that was killed just days before days before the governor “released his proposed budget, which would slash mental health spending for the third year in a row.”

“People are reeling right now,” Dr. Kenneth Duckworth, a former medical director for the State Department of Mental Health, said after the killing. “Will this case be the canary in the coal mine? Will it signal that we’ve gone too far in reducing client-staff ratios, in closing hospitals, in pushing independence for people who may still be too sick?”

Massachusetts, which compared with other states faces a relatively modest budget shortfall of $1.5 billion, is hardly alone in cutting money for mental health care. State mental health departments, serving vulnerable populations with little political clout, almost always get disproportionately squeezed during tough times. During the current fiscal crisis, many states have sharply reduced both inpatient and community-based mental health care.

The article is long and heart-wrenching, but a comprehensive look at the complexities of a system that continues to face stigma and tremendous budget cuts nationwide.

Locally, we're pressing forward. The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center continues to provide innovative, research-based services that are fundamental to the health and wellness of Douglas County citizens.

One initiative is Mental Health First Aid. This is a 12-hour training course designed to give members of the public key skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.

Local health reporter Karrey Britt participated in the class last year and blogged about her experience here. Last week the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Kim Leisey, Ph.D, wrote on Huffington Post about the program and how the university is encouraging staff, faculty and students to take the training. In the article, Leisey states that they feel having people on campus trained in Mental Health First Aid will help familiarize people with mental health issues and give individuals the tools to help someone in crisis.

For more information on the training locally and classes that are forming now visit bertnash.org and click on the link to Mental Health First Aid.