Building a House: Prevention in the Next Millennium

Abstract

The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) envisions a just, humane and healthy society in which all people are accorded respect, dignity and the opportunity to achieve their full potential free from stigma and prejudice. Since our organization was founded in 1909 by Clifford W. Beers, prevention of mental health and substance abuse problems has been an integral part of our work at NMHA and the work of our field of 340 affiliated Mental Health Associations at local and state levels. At its core, the field of prevention is about realizing this vision for society. Prevention is about equalizing chances and leveling the playing field for all Americans, at all stages of the lifecycle. The scientific practice of systematically decreasing risk factors and enhancing protective factors has been proven to curtail development of mental and emotional disorders. This, thus far, has been the field of prevention’s greatest legacy. Researchers and advocates alike can, and should, say with emphasis that prevention works.3 Saying ‘prevention works’ in no means implies that the mental health community should stop investing in research and new interventions. Saying ‘prevention works’ is just like saying ‘treatment works’— we’ve got a good start, but there is still a vast expanse of research that can be done. Advocates can help that research to progress. Time and time again, NMHA and other advocates in the field of prevention have championed this message and attempted to gain acceptance of prevention as the first stage in the healthcare continuum. Together, we’ve heralded prevention as ‘an idea whose time has come,’4 and together we’ve expressed dismay at the lack of local, community-based prevention services, and together we’ve identified and