Preventing Behavioral Health Problems in Young People By Unleashing the Power of Prevention

Behavioral health problems in childhood and adolescence take a heavy toll on young

people, families, schools, and communities. In this roundtable session, members of the

Coalition for the Promotion of Behavioral Health will discuss the evolution, nature, and

breadth of empirical support for preventive interventions aimed at reducing behavioral

health problems. Presenters will frame their comments in the context of Unleashing the

Power of Prevention, a paper accepted by the Academy of Social Work and Social

Welfare as part of the Grand Challenge called Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth.

Behavioral health problems range widely – from anxiety and depression to alcohol,

tobacco and drug abuse, delinquent and violent behavior, school dropout, risky sexual

activity and unwanted pregnancies. For decades, the approach to behavioral health

problems has been to treat them one at a time and only after they’ve been identified – at a

high and ongoing price. The cost of treatment services and lost productivity attributed to

depression, conduct disorder, and substance abuse alone are estimated at $247 billion per

year. Other losses – in lifetimes of compromised potential, the fraying of our social

fabric, and the diminishment of our nation’s future – are incalculable.

Behavioral health problems also reflect and perpetuate social inequities. Different social

groups, characterized by gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship, sexual orientation, and class,

experience dramatically different levels of behavioral health. For example, almost 83% of

the deaths of American Indian and Alaskan Natives are attributed to behavioral health

problems. Homicide rates are more than six times higher for young males than females,

and nearly 14 times higher for African-American youth compared to non-Hispanic white

youth.

For decades, public policies have focused on protecting, treating, rehabilitating, and,

often, controlling young people with identified behavioral health problems. Year after

year, billions of dollars are devoted to rehabilitating and confining youth who exhibit

mental health difficulties or engage in delinquent, aggressive, or substance-abusing

behaviors. These policies have actually increased social inequity. Although treatment and

control are clearly necessary to protect children and insure public safety, we now have

over 30 years of research on effective programs and policies showing that we can prevent

behavioral health problems from developing in the first place. This critical mass of

prevention science converges with rising awareness and interest in prevention across

healthcare, education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health. Prevention is

also a cornerstone of the Affordable Care Act.

Social work’s ecological perspective – its understanding of the interconnectivity of

individuals, families, organizations, communities, and policies – make it ideally suited to

serve as a catalyst to unleash the power of prevention. Together with other disciplines

and professions, social work is positioned to take bold steps in creating partnerships that

put effective policies and programs into action locally and nationwide. In this roundtable,

members of the Coalition for the Promotion of Behavioral Health will identify action

steps necessary to advance preventive interventions in social work research, education,

practice, and policy.