[ Browse by Service Category : Mental Health Information/Education : Sub-Topics of Mental Health Related Prevention Programs (5) ]
Body Image Education
Programs that raise awareness and educate the community about body image and eating issues while promoting normal eating, active living, self-acceptance, and respect and appreciation for size diversity. "Body image" refers to a person's perception of his or her own physical appearance. People with a poor body image perceive their own body as being unattractive or even repulsive to others while people with a good body image, or positive "body acceptance", either see themselves as attractive to others, or are willing accept their body as it is. Concerns about body image have led to poor self-esteem, reluctance to participate in physical activities, preoccupation with weight and dieting and an increase in the likelihood of developing an eating disorder.
Gambling Addiction Prevention Programs
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of problem gambling through a variety of educational interventions which help people understand the nature of problem gambling (gambling that causes psychological, physical, social or vocational disruptions in the lives of people for whom gambling is an issue); the risk factors and warning signs; and sources for treatment and support. Included are prevention programs that address specific target populations (e.g., helping professionals, people who are at risk for the problem or people who are concerned about their own gambling or the gambling of someone they care about) as well as those that are intended to reach the community at large. Delivery formats may include printed materials, videos or websites that address the subject and presentations in schools and agencies and to family groups.
Runaway Prevention Programs
Programs that attempt to reduce the number of children who run away from home each year through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on troubled children and youth, parents, professionals who work with children and families, law enforcement personnel and/or the community at large. The programs may provide information that will help people understand the difference between a runaway child and a missing child, the motivations of a runaway, the types of problems that increase the risk of a runaway (e.g., child abuse, divorce, alcohol or drug use, oppositional or defiant behaviour, antisocial peer groups), warning signs of a potential runaway, communication tips and other steps a parent can take to prevent a child from running away, and community resource options for troubled children and youth and their families.
Suicide Prevention Programs
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of suicide through a variety of educational interventions which have the objective of exploring alternatives to self-harm or self-destruction. Suicide prevention programs help people understand the nature of the problem; the risk factors and warning signs; and sources for treatment and support. Included are prevention programs that address specific target populations as well as those that are intended to reach the community at large. Delivery formats may include printed materials, videos or websites that address the subject and presentations in schools and agencies and to family groups.
The above terms and definitions are part of the Taxonomy of Human Services, used here by permission of INFO LINE of Los Angeles.