Premium
The role of primary prevention in mental health services: A review and critique
Author(s) -
Blair A.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of community and applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.042
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1099-1298
pISSN - 1052-9284
DOI - 10.1002/casp.2450020202
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , mental health , relevance (law) , primary prevention , psychology , service (business) , public relations , medicine , psychiatry , political science , business , disease , pathology , marketing , law
Community psychology in the West has had a growing impact on mental health service provision. One facet of this development has been the advocacy of an increased focus on the primary prevention of mental illness. This paper reviews both theoretical and practical work in this area in order to assess the current role and relevance of primary preventive interventions. There is a discussion of primary prevention's historical and theoretical contexts, of its conceptualisations and definitions, of criticisms of its relevance and efficacy, and of examples of its practice. It is argued that primary prevention is inappropriately marginalised in current service provision and that there is a need to engage in the long‐term planning and evaluation of primary preventive interventions in order to facilitate their fuller incorporation into national and local policies on mental health.