The role of the community mental health centre in prevention

The writer discusses some theoretical concepts regarding community psychiatry and the role of the community mental health centre with special attention to the primary preventative programmes, the limitations of the field of influence and the scope of activity within any given community. It would appear that most psychiatrists see their work as the delivery of psychiatric care, hopefully resulting in secondary and tertiary prevention. While the healing and supportive functions are of major significance, the mental health community centre has also an important educative part to play in primary prevention, in helping to upgrade the well-being and the social competence of the people in its sphere of influcence.