Topic 1 Introduction- Types of Preventive Interventions

The preventive interventions can be categorized into three groups:

Universal Preventive Interventions

Key characteristic: Universal preventive interventions are targeting an entire population group (e.g. all children in one school, or community, or at least one class)
These interventions are aiming to reduce the problem prevalence in the entire population by:
- decreasing the risk
- promoting the protective factors.

Selective Preventive Interventions

Selective preventive interventions are targeting specific population group, which is identified as a high risk for some health problems (smoking, alcohol misuse, problematic internet use)
It is important to adequately identify those at the high-risk category
Low socioeconomic status
Children/ adolescents with previously identified mental health issues
Children/adolescents whose parents have mental health issues or substance use.
Lack of social skills
Have limited effect- since they are not population-based
In selective preventive interventions we do not assess the individual risks, only the factor of being in the high-risk group
They are often longer or more intensive than universal preventive programs

Indicated Prevention Interventions

Targeting those who already smoke, or use alcohol, so that they do not develop the disorder, such as alcohol misuse
Indicated prevention programs are:
- very expensive
- resource consuming,
- cost-effective (they allow the creators to avoid the development of the disorder and its consequences)

Program developers choose
The greatest benefits are described for universal prevention programs, as it is not only those in high-risk categories that develop some problem but often people (children/ adolescents) that could be regarded as low risk can develop problematic behaviour.