The prevention of mental disorders in children and adolescents: Future research and public-policy recommendations

The following literature review examines the research on the prevention of mental illness in children and adolescents; relevant theories also are surv eyed. The results point to directions for future research and present publi c policy. A risk-reduction model in preventative research, whereby risk fac tors are identified and matched to empirically tested interventions, is mos t promising. If risk factors can be decreased or In some way altered while protective factors are enhanced, the likelihood of at-risk children eventua lly developing a mental disorder would decrease. The ultimate goal is to ac hieve optimal prevention by building the principles of prevention into the ordinary activities of everyday life and into community structures to enhan ce development over the entire life span.