Primary prevention in community mental health.
Unsolved problems and the perspective of the health education approach
Until now, the question `Can psychic disorders be prevented?' cannot be answered in the affirmative. Prevention workers have different opinions about it. On the one hand, there are those who believe in the prevention ideal; on the other hand, there are those who have their doubts. These different opinions are focused on three problems:
a. the definition of the object of prevention;
b. the causality question;
c. the point of impact of prevention.
More important than these different opinions is the fact that on the shortest notice possible more certainty about the practical possibilities of primary prevention should be obtained. Therefore, we propose the health education approach. Small-scale experiments with this approach might be recommended.