Prevention Science
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Prevention Science
The study and practice of Prevention Science within Community Psychology seeks to promote good mental, physical, and spiritual health. Prevention scientists use the community context to understand and reduce morbidity and mortality of preventable illness.

Posted in: Blog, Children, Youth and Families, Prevention Science | Tags: Featured ContentPublished in: The Community PsychologistThe Hope Resilience Action Study was developed by Black and Latina women scholars to amplify the lived experiences of Afro Latina/Caribbean, Black, and Latina girls. The study required review by the institutional review board (IRB). The IRB reviewers shared concerns about inclusive definitions of gender and sexual orientation. This is what we did next.
Read MorePosted in: Marginalized Groups, Prevention Science | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyTransplanting evidence-based practices into new contexts requires extensive thought and consideration as most interventions are not developed with populations at highest risk in mind. Our study highlights the importance of including community members and everyday people in plans to take action for social change.
Read MorePosted in: Prevention SciencePublished in: The Community PsychologistThe last two decades of work in India have taught us a great deal about international research methodology and intervention development. Read more about 20+ years of collaboration between India and the US in the service of community health.
Read MorePosted in: Marginalized Groups, Poverty and Socioeconomic Status, Prevention SciencePublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyDifferential access to social, economic, and environmental supports puts communities at risk for disparities in health and well‐being. CBPR is a promising approach to address the social determinants of health.
Read MorePosted in: Marginalized Groups, Prevention ScienceIncorporating a Principles-Focused Evaluation approach maintains focus on the shared values held throughout the community. Learn how to use a Principles-Focused Evaluation approach for evaluating collaborative work toward equity and justice.
Read MorePosted in: Marginalized Groups, Prevention SciencePublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyMany important societal problems can be defined as “wicked” because they have multiple, complex causes, impact individuals in different ways, and do not lend themselves to simple solutions. Researchers should seek to collaborate with the individuals most affected by the topic under study so that any (partial) solutions to identified problems can be informed by […]
Read MorePosted in: Marginalized Groups, Poverty and Socioeconomic Status, Prevention SciencePublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyBuy-in and trust with organization- and policy-level stakeholders is crucial. Tensions between organizational culture and the research protocol should be addressed, such as reluctance to support a randomized design.
Read MorePosted in: Coalition Building, Prevention SciencePublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyConsumers collaborate with researchers in Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) to create data that is authentic, useful, and can directly impact service delivery systems. The process is time intensive and can be challenging. Including consumer researchers as partners is essential to understand the experience of receiving services and the impact of those services when considering improvements.
Read MorePosted in: Coalition Building, Prevention ScienceConsultants can assist communities to design, implement, and evaluate effective interventions. Evaluation consultants with a Community Psychology perspective are particularly valuable as the values of the field align with what many communities need.
Read MorePosted in: Children, Youth and Families, Mental Health, Prevention Science, Public PolicyChildhood trauma and adversity are associated with chronic health and behavioral health problems. In a systems-wide approach to trauma, all individuals within the organization play a role in helping treat a child.
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