Conclusions

In order to identify effective prevention programmes we reviewed over 200 studies involving more than 70,000 children. Furthermore, the studies we selected for review were the most methodologically robust that we could find using both computer and manual searches of the English language literature for the past quarter of a century. We can therefore place considerable confidence in our conclusions which are summarized in this chapter. Our conclusions concern the prevention of the following list of problems: 1. developmental delay in low birth weight infants 2. cognitive delays in socially disadvantaged children 3. adjustment problems in children with physical disabilities 4. adjustment problems in children with sensory disabilities 5. adjustment problems in children with autism 6. challenging behaviour in children with intellectual disabilities 7. physical abuse 8. sexual abuse 9. bullying 10. adjustment problems in children with asthma 11. adjustment problems in children with diabetes 12. teenage drug abuse 13. teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection 14. post-traumatic adjustment problems in children and adolescents 15. suicide in adolescence.