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).
