Prevention strategies can be effective in preventing, and reducing severity of some mental health conditions, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Further, good prevention strategies can delay onset and support treatment outcomes for those with mental health conditions. Prevention Institute has focused on mental health issues in several ways.
PI is the lead coordinating agency for the Movember Foundation's Making Connections Initiative, which focuses on improving the mental health and wellbeing of men and boys in the U.S. This partnership is informed by a landmark PI report, Making Connections for Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Men and Boys in the U.S., developed for the Movember Foundation and detailing the current state of mental health for American males. The initiative leverages the work of local organizations to bring primary prevention activities to a community scale, in order to promote resilience across generations.
For the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), PI has provided consultation to Prevention/Early Intervention grantees in the areas of effectiveness and sustainability and has captured community successes through a series of profiles.
Prevention Institute has also integrated consideration of mental health and well-being into its work in other focus areas. For instance, caregiver mental health was a focal point of the research and reporting for First Steps: Taking Action Early to Prevent Violence. Mental health was also a leading indicator informing the research conducted in developing the Institute's community health and health equity tools, such as THRIVE (Tool for Health and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments). Further, positive social-emotional development, social connections in neighborhoods, and adequate mental health services are among key strategic elements prioritized in UNITY, the Institute's national urban initiative to reduce violence in large cities. Additionally, the archived training for SAMHSA targets how to use some of the Institute's primary tools, such as Spectrum of Prevention, 8 Steps to Effective Coalition Building, and Collaboration Multiplier, to promote effectiveness and sustainability within mental health initiatives.