Prevention Research

The term prevention research refers to research that directly applies to (a) identifying and assessing risk and (b) developing interventions for preventing or minimizing high-risk or harmful behaviors, disorders, or injuries. That is, prevention research aims to identify a problem, obtain epidemiological data about the problem, and identify risk and protective factors that are associated with the problem. It can then move on to develop and evaluate interventions that help prevent the problem and implement the interventions that work. Prevention research often involves public health, which promotes health and wellness for individuals, families, communities, and populations.

Sometimes called distress prevention, this type of work and research is becoming more important as an overall part of promoting client, couple, and family wellness. In the past, intervention, rather ...