Committee on the Prevention of Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse Among Children, Youth, and Young Adults, National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine: Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities

As a researcher examining mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) disorders among children and youth, I have been impressed by the increased focus on prevention that has occurred in recent years. Increasing numbers of research studies have focused not only on improving our understanding about the prevalence and etiology of MEB disorders, but also on the identification of risk and protective factors and the effects of prevention programs on youth, family, and societal outcomes. Findings from this research have been promising and have indicated that while rates of MEB disorders among young people are high (with cumulative rates as high as 40 to 50% by age 21), many are also preventable or can be tempered through the adoption and implementation of policies and practices aimed at prevention. …