A Developmental Psychopathology Approach to the Prevention of Mental Health Disorders

This chapter elaborates a developmental psychopathology approach to prevention science. It reviews basic research on normal and abnormal development and developmental psychopathology and articulate its integral relation to preventive interventions. The chapter goes on to describe how results from preventive intervention trials are uniquely able to serve as tests of developmental theory. After a brief history of the terminology associated with prevention, the chapter describes the prevention research cycle that takes into account the planned, sequential steps necessary to develop strong prevention programs that have the opportunity to promote the best outcomes as well as provide a wealth of information for developmental theory. The interface of developmental psychopathology, epidemiology, and public health as it relates to prevention are also discussed. The chapter concludes with directions for future research in preventive interventions. Prevention also ranges across the life span, and programs for older adults, are valuable lines of research and practice.