Abstract

Author(s):

Russell Roberts

Affiliations:

Charles Sturt University

Previous models of mental health promotion and prevention¹ did not guide and inform actions addressing promotion and prevention, across the spectrum of health and illness and have overlooked the social determinants and other domains of health and wellbeing. This presentation presents a contemporary model of promotion, prevention and early intervention that seeks to overcome these limitations. This model² was developed while the author presided as Chair of the NSW Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention Committee. This contemporary model converts definitional terms such as primary, secondary and tertiary prevention to action-oriented, descriptive language. Using the framework of the new model, the presentation provides examples of actions across the spectrum of health and illness, across the various domains of physical health, and across the domains the social health of people living with mental illness.

1 – Haggerty, R. J., & Mrazek, P. J. (1994). Reducing risks for mental disorders: Frontiers for preventive intervention research: National Academies Press.
2 – Roberts, R. Building Better Mental Health: A New Model of Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention. The 21st Annual TheMHS Conference, Adelaide, Sept. 2011.