Prevention of mental illness within public health: An analysis of progress via systematic literature review and a pathway forward.

Primary prevention is the cornerstone of public health. Prevention is especially important for chronic diseases of significant burden such as mental illnesses because many of them have limited treatment options, an onset in childhood or in adolescence, and are linked to adverse childhood experiences requiring a focus on early childhood and maternal-child health (MCH). Despite this need, there appears to be a paucity of research into prevention of mental illnesses within public health.