Prevention of Mental Disorders

The twentieth century witnessed major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. However, the alarming prevalence of many mental disorders, as well as their devastating consequences for individuals and communities, highlights the need for preventive interventions. Researchers have estimated that existing treatment methods are not sufficient to reduce the burden of depression, anxiety, and substance use by half, even assuming ideal conditions of treatment access, clinician competence, and patient compliance (Andrews & Wilkinson, 2002). Growing recognition of the importance of prevention has spurred research in this area, with considerable progress regarding methods and outcomes of preventive interventions over the past 15 years.

Keywords: depression; evidence-based preventive interventions; incidence; prevalence; randomized control trials