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 surveyed. The results point to directions for future research and present public policy. A risk-reduction model in preventative research, whereby risk factors are identified and matched to empirically tested interventions, is most promising. If risk factors can be decreased or in some way altered while protective factors are enhanced, the likelihood of at-risk children eventually developing a mental disorder would decrease. The ultimate goal is to achieve optimal prevention by building the principles of prevention into the ordinary activities of everyday life and into community structures to enhance development over the entire life span.