Escitalopram and Problem-Solving Therapy for Prevention of Poststroke Depression

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Abstract
Prevention is a goal to which every field of medicine aspires because it reduces morbidity, may alleviate suffering, and reduces the cost of health care. Although the Commission on Chronic Illness proposed the classification of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention1 in 1957, the Institute of Medicine Committee on Prevention of Mental Disorders recommended a new terminology2 in 1995. According to the new terminology, preventive intervention is defined as an intervention before the patient receives a diagnosis. Alternatively, treatment is an intervention for patients already with a diagnosis, and maintenance is the care of patients with chronic illnesses including relapse prevention. Furthermore, preventive interventions are categorized as (1) indicated, addressing high-risk individuals with premorbid signs or symptoms; (2) selective, for select individuals with demonstrated increased risk of developing illness; and (3) universal, for a whole population in a group with all levels of risk.