2
PREVENTION / PROMOTION
PREVENTION / PROMOTION
“
“Mental health promotion
Mental health promotion aims to
aims to impact on determinants of
impact on determinants of
mental health
mental health so as
so as to increase
to increase positive mental health”
positive mental health”
(OMS, 2004)
(OMS, 2004)
«
«Mental
Mental health
health promotion
promotion conceptualises mental
conceptualises mental health
health in positive
in positive rather
rather
than
than in
in negative
negative terms
terms ».
».
“
“Mental disorder prevention
Mental disorder prevention aims at “
aims at “reducing incidence,
reducing incidence,
prevalence, recurrence of mental disorders
prevalence, recurrence of mental disorders, the time spent with
, the time spent with
symptoms,
symptoms, or the risk
or the risk condition for a mental illness, preventing
condition for a mental illness, preventing
or delaying recurrences and also decreasing the impact of
or delaying recurrences and also decreasing the impact of
illness in the affected person, their families and the society”
illness in the affected person, their families and the society”
(
(Mrazek
Mrazek & Haggerty, 1994 in OMS, 2004)
& Haggerty, 1994 in OMS, 2004)
“
“Prevention
Prevention of mental disorders can be considered
of mental disorders can be considered one of the aims
one of the aims and
and
outcomes of a
outcomes of a broader mental health promotion
broader mental health promotion strategy”
strategy”
(
(Hosman
Hosman &
& Jané
Jané-
-
Llopis
Llopis 1999).
1999).
PREVENTION / PROMOTION
PREVENTION / PROMOTION
The distinction
The distinction between health promotion and prevention lies
between health promotion and prevention lies in their
in their
targeted outcomes
targeted outcomes.
. Mental health promotion aims to promote
Mental health promotion aims to promote
positive mental health
positive mental health by increasing psychological well
by increasing psychological well-
-being,
being,
competence and resilience, and by creating supporting living
competence and resilience, and by creating supporting living
conditions and environments.
conditions and environments. Mental disorder prevention has as its
Mental disorder prevention has as its
target the reduction of symptoms and ultimately of mental disord
target the reduction of symptoms and ultimately of mental disorders
ers.
.
It uses mental health promotion strategies as one of the means t
It uses mental health promotion strategies as one of the means to
o
achieve these goals.
achieve these goals. Mental health promotion
Mental health promotion when aiming to
when aiming to
enhance positive mental health in the community may
enhance positive mental health in the community may also have the
also have the
secondary outcome of decreasing the incidence of mental disorder
secondary outcome of decreasing the incidence of mental disorders
s.
.
Prevention and promotion elements are often present
Prevention and promotion elements are often present within the
within the
same programmes and strategies, involving similar activities and
same programmes and strategies, involving similar activities and
producing different but complementary outcomes
producing different but complementary outcomes. Since mental
. Since mental
health promotion and mental disorder prevention both deal primar
health promotion and mental disorder prevention both deal primarily
ily
with the enhancement of mental health and the influence of its
with the enhancement of mental health and the influence of its
antecedents, they should be understood as conceptually
antecedents, they should be understood as conceptually distinct but
distinct but
interrelated
interrelated approaches.
approaches.
(OMS, 2004)
(OMS, 2004)