CBT has done pretty well in developing effective treatments for a broad range of disorders. However, if we wait for a disorder to develop and then provide treatment, this has obvious drawbacks for the individuals with the disorders and for society. Now, if we could prevent the development of the disorders in the first place...

The February, 2008 issue of Cognitive and Behavioral Practice includes a special series of articles on preventing mental disorders that includes programs for preventing conduct problems, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and depression.

Quite a bit of work has been done to develop effective prevention programs and test them. One major problem is figuring out how to make such programs financially viable. Personally, I've been interested in prevention for decades. However, as a practitioner the problem is that individuals rarely contact us seeking preventive services and, if they do, insurance usually will cover treatment but not prevention. How do you get people to participate in prevention programs and how do you pay professionals to provide preventive services?