The concept of primary prevention: Creating new paradigms

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Social Sciences
• Community Development

Background:

• Traditional mental health professions often focus on individual treatment.
• Primary prevention work presents unique challenges and ambiguities.
• Integrating social sciences with clinical practice is crucial for advancing prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore five distinct topics within primary prevention.
• To clarify the ambiguity inherent in prevention work.
• To increase the substantive merit and impact of primary prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual exploration of five key areas in prevention.
• Analysis of the integration of social sciences and clinical professions.
• Framework development for citizen and professional collaboration.

Main Results:

• Identified five topics distinct from traditional mental health activities.
• Demonstrated methods to explore ambiguity and enhance primary prevention.
• Highlighted the synergistic potential between social sciences and clinical professions.

Conclusions:

• Prevention work necessitates integrating citizen and professional insights for critical thinking and authentic needs.
• New professional roles and citizen development opportunities emerge from collaborative knowledge creation.
• Prevention fosters community development by creating accessible knowledge, shifting from individual treatment paradigms.