The US government should take stronger action to prevent mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in children and youths, according to a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council.
School-based interventions that promote good mental health can help prevent the development of mental, emotional, and behavioral problems in children.
In 1994, the IOM outlined the need for more research on preventing mental disorders. Since then, a strong body of evidence has emerged suggesting that interventions in childhood or adolescence can be very effective at preventing mental disorders or reducing their negative consequences throughout life, according to the new report (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12480). Based on such evidence, the report's authors called on the White House to create an entity that would coordinate multiagency efforts to implement such programs more widely.