Prevention Is a Key Element of Public Mental Health.

Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" (Winslow 1920). This was one of the first integral definition of public health in modern era. Later on, a definition of health was agreed as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity", by the United Nations' World Health Organization (Preamble to the Constitution of the WHO 1946). The Public Health Institutes are the organizations focused on the interventions to prevent and manage diseases, injuries and other health conditions through surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behaviours, communities and environments (Culig 2014). The core functions are: The assessment and monitoring of the health of communities and populations at risk to identify health problems and priorities; The formulation of public policies designed to solve identified local and national health problems and priorities; To assure that all populations have access to appropriate and cost-effective care; Health promotion and disease prevention services, and evaluation of the effectiveness of that care.