Citation

Hawkins JD, Shapiro VB, Fagan AA. Res. Soc. Work Pract. 2010; 20(5): 518-527.

Affiliation

Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington 9725 3rd Ave. NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1049731509359919

PMID

21072250

PMCID

PMC2975371

Abstract

In the United States about 17% of adolescents meet diagnostic criteria for mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Six million young people receive treatment services annually for mental, emotional, or behavioral problems. These problems affect 1 in 5 families and cost $247 million annually (O'Connell, Boat, & Warner, 2009). Some strategies for preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in young people have been developed, tested, and found to be effective in preventing the onset, persistence, and severity of psychological disorders, drug abuse, and delinquency. Unfortunately, tested and effective prevention policies, programs, and practices are not widely used (O'Connell, Boat, & Warner, 2009). This paper highlights recent advances in prevention science and describes some opportunities and challenges in advancing the use of science-based prevention in communities. The chapter concludes by exploring the potential role of social work education in developing a workforce ready to increase community access to effective prevention strategies.

Language: en