There are three versions of prevention. Primary prevention, such as a seat belt or a vaccine, reduces risk in the entire population. Secondary prevention, such as a lipid-lowering drug, is for people with a known risk factor such as high cholesterol and a family history of coronary artery disease. And tertiary prevention, such as aspirin following a heart attack, prevents an adverse outcome after onset of an illness. Tertiary prevention is what we find today in mental health care.
