Prevention in child psychiatry

Prevention in child psychiatry may be divided into two different areas: Promotion of mental health and prevention of psychiatric illness. In promotion of mental health the target is the total population and one has to deal with values within the sociocultural frame of reference. Research pilot projects have been carried out by the establishment of different parents groups. The intention of this group-work has been of a cultural--not an educational--nature. We have tried to create a replica of the lost possibility of cultural transference of skills and norms in caring and upbringing. In prevention of psychiatric illness the work must be based on epidemiology and the risk groups are the specific target. Research projects in prevention have been rather limited, but we may draw two conclusions: To identify the risk children has not been the problem--the interventions must be rather comprehensive for counteracting the risk factors, rendering them harmless.