Explanation:

Young people develop in the contexts of their family, their school, their community, and the larger culture, which offer multiple opportunities to support healthy development and prevent disorder. This chapter first reviews interventions in a variety of settings directed primarily at improving family functioning. These interventions target both expectant parents and families with children of different ages and are discussed in order of developmental stage. The chapter then examines interventions delivered in various school settings that seek to address risks for mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) disorders and problems or to foster positive development by focusing on change in developmental processes; this discussion is organized according to school level (e.g., early childhood education) and the developmental processes or behavior(s) targeted. Box 6-1, based on the studies discussed in the chapter, illustrates key results of family and school interventions. The section on community interventions describes approaches aimed at community-wide change. The final section offers concluding comments based on the information presented in the chapter, but does not include recommendations. Chapter 7 reviews preventive interventions that target specific MEB disorders, as well as those aimed at mental health promotion. The discussion in that chapter includes school and community interventions that specifically target substance abuse. Chapter 7 concludes with conclusions and recommendations that draw together the evidence from that and the present chapter.