Handbook of Preventive Interventions for Adults
Chapter One
PREVENTION ACROSS THE
ADULT LIFE SPAN
LISA A. RAPP-PAGLICCI AND CATHERINE N. DULMUS
Individuals are living longer, but in many cases, their quality of life is impeded
due to preventable emotional, physical, and/or social problems. Adults continue
to be diagnosed with physical and mental illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension,
anxiety, and obesity, at a time when social problems such as partner violence
and economic instability are escalating. In many cases, these illnesses and
social problems have serious personal and societal costs. Some of these problems
can be prevented.
Prevention tactics are now more prevalent, but the focus continues to be toward
children and adolescents, while adults are neglected. However, prevention
is appropriate, possible, and necessary across the entire life span. Developmental
theorists have persuaded us to rethink adulthood as a series of continuing developmental
stages with differing tasks to be accomplished and various risk
factors that need to be addressed at each stage. With this in mind, it becomes obvious
that prevention research and practice is not only applicable, but essential
for adults at various stages of the l ... read full excerpt from Handbook of Preventive Interventions for Adults ebook
