Psychology of Prevention Science

Catalog description

Course Description The late 19th Century saw a revolution in our ability to prevent devastating physical ailments through the promotion of hygiene. The development of vaccines in the 20th Century gave parents the possibility to safeguard their children from lethal diseases for which there is still no cure. The development and distribution of COVID vaccines in the last two years has saved lives. What then are the mechanisms with which we can prevent mental disorders as well as Alcohol, Tobacco, Other Drug and Gambling (ATODG) abuse disorders in the 21st Century? Recent research has found that in the area of mental illness and ATODG, prevention is a future goal, while health promotion, risk reduction and sustained recovery are viable foci of intervention now. This course will examine the history and societal tensions between mental health promotion and mental illness treatment. We will study the skills necessary to promote mental health and reduce risks for mental illness through community-based interventions, while learning the specific vocabulary of prevention research. We will examine current prevention research to determine the quality of data available to us today, and the needs for future information to improve prevention interventions.