Prevention of common mental disorders: What can we learn from those who have gone before and where do we go next?

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Prevention strategies have made a major contribution to the considerable successes in reductions in cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality seen in recent decades. However, in the field of psychiatry, similar population-level initiatives in the prevention of common mental disorders, depression and anxiety, are noticeably lacking. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of the existing literature on the topic of the prevention of common mental disorders and a commentary regarding the way forward for prevention research and implementation. METHODS: This commentary considers what we currently know, what we might learn from the successes and failures of those working in preven..