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Information and education are the bases for prevention

Abstract:

The scientific work of the Social and Epidemiological Research Division of the Mexican Institute of Psychiatry during 20 years of investigation on social and epidemiological issues on the most relevant problems of mental health and addictions in Mexico, constitutes an important database, both theoretical and empirical, enough to supply the contents for possible prevention programs. The available understructure, including materials related to methodologies, research instruments, epidemiological and statistical data, information about risk and protective factors around specific problems, such as drug abuse, alcoholism, family violence, affective disorders, suicide, and other problems inside risk groups, such as street children and women, is the basic element to design and to apply both general prevention programs and focused intervention actions. The main objective of this paper is to suggest some global and concrete strategies for designing and applying prevention programs in mental health, base on the results of the social and epidemiological research developed in the Mexican Institute of Psychiatry. The strategies proposed are oriented mainly to divulge information about the most recent developments in this field and to generate education programs related to mental health, mental illness and addictions, addressed to the general community and to specific risk groups. Even though the Institute has reached an important level in spreading research results, this has been done through publications in specialized magazines, its participation in scientific congresses, edition of books and its journal Salud Mental. However this information is planned to reach only the national and internacional scientific community, specialized in mental health. We consider as a basic need to encourage the divulgation of scientific results, specifically of those from social and epidemiological areas, among the general public, who must receive the final benefits of the scientific work done in mental health during the last years. This means that people suffering from mental problems, their families, the social groups in great risk and the general population will participate more activity in prevention programs if they have access to the proper education and information.