Program maturity and cost analysis in the evaluation of primary prevention programs

Primary prevention has been growing as a major initiative in mental health, and to avoid overpromising its benefits, primary prevention programs must be evaluated in a systematic and effective fashion. Information on the developmental maturity and the direct costs of a program is very useful in assessing its merit, even if definitive findings on incidence reduction are not available for many years. This paper outlines the steps by which information on a program's developmental maturity and direct costs can be obtained, and discusses the implications of these steps for primary prevention policy.