What Mental Health Prevention Looks Like, According to Therapists

Here’s everything you need to know about the types of mental health prevention and how to implement them in your life.

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Mental health prevention can mean so many different things depending on where you are in your health journey. On one level, it’s about managing adverse symptoms as they appear and getting support for ongoing mental health challenges. But it’s also about being proactive with taking care of your mental health. 

“Mental health prevention starts with consistency, awareness, and connection,” says Charlie Health Group Facilitator Bree Williams, LPCA. “I often encourage people to stop viewing mental health care as something that only matters during a crisis. Prevention means caring for your emotional well-being before burnout, anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm become severe.” With that said, here’s what you need to know about types of mental health prevention.

Types of mental health prevention

There are three types of mental health prevention: Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Which form of intervention is used depends on a person’s current experience. Are they experiencing any symptoms? Do they want to manage ongoing mental health disorder concerns? Maybe there’s no inkling yet that their mental health could get worse, but they want to take steps to reduce the likelihood. Each of these aspects falls under different forms of prevention. 

1. Primary prevention in mental health

Primary prevention is all about, well, preventing mental health conditions before they develop. “This includes education, stress management, healthy routines, emotional literacy, community support, and reducing stigma around mental health conversations,” says Williams. She provides examples of how primary prevention mental health treatment works, such as encouraging people to have a healthy work-life balance before they experience burnout and showing children healthy coping skills. 

2. Secondary prevention in mental health

Then there’s secondary prevention, which “focuses on early detection and treatment, such as screenings and counseling,” says Charlie Health Licensed Creative Arts Therapist Courtney Way, MA, LCAT.

The key to these mental health services is being aware of early symptoms and preventing them from getting worse, explains Williams. She adds that this might look like getting screened for a mental health condition, addressing trauma responses early on, and going to therapy when symptoms first appear. 

3. Tertiary prevention in mental health

In contrast, tertiary prevention is often what people think of when they picture getting care. It’s about managing ongoing symptoms and living with a mental health disorder. It can also involve mental health relapse prevention, explains Way. 

According to Williams, tertiary prevention mental health services can include medication, therapy, support groups, and rehabilitation services. These options are “designed to improve functioning and quality of life after a diagnosis has already occurred,” adds Williams. 

It might also involve care for severe mental health conditions and suicide prevention. 

Mental health prevention strategies

There are a number of techniques you can use across these strategies that might help your mental health in the short- and long-term.

1. Seek out education

On the primary prevention front, Williams emphasizes the importance of learning emotional regulation skills as early as you can.

Each form of prevention can involve educating yourself about mental health, stress management, and emotional regulation. This mental health awareness might reduce the odds of mental distress and allow for early intervention. As a secondary prevention method, it “can also help prevent mental health concerns before they worsen,” says Way. Education can center on specific conditions, like anxiety disorders, or learning clear distinctions between bad and good mental health experiences. 

2. Check in with yourself

Emotional check-ins can be incredibly helpful at all stages of your mental health journey. Getting into the practice can make a big difference in noticing symptoms. “Many people ignore early warning signs because they’re used to functioning in survival mode,” says Williams. “Prevention often begins with slowing down enough to recognize when your body and mind are asking for support.”

3. Find healthy outlets for coping

Way and Williams both stress the need to develop healthy coping outlets and techniques. They recommend outlets such as:  

• Journaling
• Mindfulness
• Exercise
• Spirituality
• Creative expression  

On a long-term basis, Way and Williams also suggest implementing:

• Sleep routines
• Regular movement
• Healthy boundaries 
• Ways to reduce chronic stress and overstimulation

The importance of community-centered prevention

Way and Williams explain how critical it is for prevention to have a community-centered aspect. “Mental health prevention is most effective when communities, schools, healthcare providers, and families work together,” says Way. “Early intervention and access to support services can greatly improve long-term mental health outcomes and overall well-being.

Way notes that mental health treatment works best when there’s a holistic approach.

“Mental health is influenced not only by individual habits, but by access to healthcare, safe relationships, financial stability, rest, and supportive environments,” Williams adds. “People function better emotionally when they feel safe, connected, and supported.”

These understanding communities can also reduce stigmas, create safe spaces for people to talk about their mental health, and provide greater education to all involved. 

Williams issues a reminder that taking part in prevention doesn’t mean that a person won’t experience adverse mental health or hardship. “Instead, it increases resilience and provides tools to navigate difficult experiences more effectively,” she says. “Ultimately, mental health prevention is about creating lives where emotional care is normalized — not just during a crisis, but as part of everyday well-being.” 

How Charlie Health can help 

If you or a loved one is struggling with your mental health, Charlie Health can help. Charlie Health is a virtual behavioral health provider delivering high-acuity treatment for kids, teens, and adults facing serious mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Our innovative treatment model combines clinical expertise, group connection, and measurement-based care to support long-term healing. With the right support, managing your mental health and relationships is possible. Fill out the form below to start healing today.