Primary Prevention:
Primary prevention should have the following goals:
i) Ascertaining at the risk population and the high risk situations where stressful life events are the precipitating factors.
ii) Providing services to strengthen coping resources of these groups to prevent development of symptoms.
Concrete Measures in Prevention
1) Individual Centred Measures
Child care and child-rearing measures include:
- Antenatal care to mother and educating her regarding the adverse effects of irradiation, drugs and prematurity.
- Ensuring timely and efficient obstetrical assistance to guard against the ill effects of anoxia, injury at birth.
- Liberalization of laws regarding termination of pregnancy, when it is unwanted.
- Counselling of the parents of physically and mentally handicapped children, with particular reference to the nature of defects. The parents need to accept and emotionally support the child and be satisfied with limited goals.
- Programmes to enrich child mother relationship by stressing the importance of warm accepting intimate relationship, and avoiding the prolonged separation of mother and child, are essential.
Programmes Oriented to the Chid in the School
These programmes are essential, as the school plays an important role in the childs life next to the family, in moulding the child's personality on healthy lines. The quality of the child's cognitive achievement has an enormous effect on his capacity to adapt to the rapidly changing world. Early signs of learning difficulties or behavioural abnormalities can be detected, and timely corrective measures can be taken through professional help. The teachers should be taught to identify the symptoms of abnormal conduct and behaviour in the children and refer cases to appropriate agencies.