ABSTRACT
Community psychology "concerns the relationships of the individual to community and social structures. Through collaborative research and action, it seeks to understand and enhance community and individual well-being". The Swamscott Conference in 1965 laid a foundation for the emerging field of community psychology. A critical theme of the conference was the importance of prevention research and action. Prevention research has advanced greatly since Swamscott, and particularly over the past decade. In 1994, the Institute of Medicine released a report titled "Reducing Risks for Mental Disorders: Frontiers for Preventive Intervention Research". Zeldin argues in favor of engaging young people in their communities as a universal effort to prevent violence and delinquency. There is much research to support the negative effects on youth of social and community isolation. Prevention has been a central theme of community psychology since the birth of the field and has advanced greatly over the past several decades.
