Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Chapter 3: Children and Mental Health
Overview of Risk Factors and Prevention
Other Prevention Programs and Strategies
These and other prevention trials demonstrate that positive
adaptation and social-emotional well-being in children and youth can be
enhanced, and that risk factors for behavioral and emotional disorders can be
reduced, by intervening in home, school, day care, and other settings. Programs
have focused not only on mental health but also on other problem behaviors. (Botvin
et al., 1995; St. Lawrence et al., 1995;Kellam & Anthony, 1998).
Other prevention trials are showing similar benefits. For example, a
large-scale, four-site school- and home-based prevention trial, known as
FastTrack, has shown clear benefits in reducing behavior problems among
high-risk children, as well as in reducing needs for and use of special
education, which has substantial cost-effectiveness implications (Conduct
Problems Prevention Research Group, 1999a, 1999b). Another trial is now under
way to test the efficacy of a preventive intervention provided to adolescents
whose parents are currently being treated for depression within a health
maintenance organization (Clark et al., 1998). Treatment of mood disorders also
has potential effectiveness for the primary prevention of suicide, as explained
in the later section on Depression and Suicide in Children and Adolescents.
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1 Also see Ramey et al., 1984; Ramey & Campbell,
1984; Horacek et al., 1987; Martin et al., 1990.
2 Also see IHDP, 1990; Ramey et al., 1992; Brooks-Gunn et al., 1994a, 1994b; Casey et al., 1994. 3 Also see Olds et al., 1986a, 1986b, 1988, 1993, 1994a, 1994b, 1995, and 1997. |
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