The prevention of mental disorders

The role of research in the prevention of mental disorders.

Lessons from obesity prevention for the prevention of mental disorders: the primordial prevention approach

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence supports a relationship between risk factors for obesity and the genesis of the common mental disorders, depression and anxiety. This suggests common mental disorders should be considered as a form of non-communicable disease, preventable through the modification of lifestyle behaviours, particularly diet and physical activity. DISCUSSION Obesity prevention resear...

The Prevention of Mental Disorders has a Bright Future

This article takes four looks at the status of prevention in psychiatry. The first glance is critical, shaped by disappointment at the slow progress in the understanding of psychiatric diseases and the lack of promise in prevention. The second look is less humble. It characterizes and acknowledges the efforts made so far. The third and the fourth perspectives optimistically announce a new age i...

Prevention of depressive disorders: towards a further reduction of the disease burden of mental disorders.

From a public health perspective, depression is one of the most important mental disorders. It is highly prevalent, has a high incidence and is associated with a substantial loss of quality of life for patients and their relatives, increased mortality rates, high levels of service use and enormous economic costs. Major depression is currently ranked fourth worldwide in disease burden, and it is...

Mental health promotion and the prevention of mental disorders in South Africa.

The need for greater attention to mental health promotion and the prevention of mental disorders in South Africa is highlighted by the cycle of poverty and mental ill-health, the potential for social gains, the question of affordability of treatment in the face of the increasing burden of mental disorders, and the limitations of existing treatment methods. This article, which provides a desk re...