Community psychology
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Community Psychology lies at the intersection of Social Psychology, Political Science, and Community Development. It is the study of how to use the principles of psychology to create communities of all sizes that promote mental health of their members.
The basic tenets of Community Psychology are:
- Any non-biological mental illness can either be caused by or aggravated by a mismatch between a person's personality and the community environment in which he or she exists.
- It is often cheaper and more effective to change the environment than to treat multiple patients within it.
- Primary interventions (those aimed at preventing problems before they start) are much more effective than secondary or tertiary interventions (those that treat patients or incipient patients).