The effectiveness of prevention depends on the likelihood of reaching targets among those exposed to preventive interventions, but also on the reach that our interventions have in the targeted population at risk or in the whole population. The same applies to mental health promotion. Some interventions have a wide reach, especially when they concern whole school programmes, community approaches and public preventive measures and legislation (e.g. limiting access to alcohol and drugs). Many interventions, especially when targeted at selective or indicated prevention, use group format methods (e.g. courses, training) or person-oriented methods. These last interventions could only reach a large part of the targeted population at risk when ample personnel resources are available. Mostly, such interventions have only a very limited reach, and in consequence  have only a marginal impact on public mental health. This situation challenges preventionists and health promoters to invest in new strategies and technologies to reach a much wider part of populations. These include: bibliotherapy (written self-help tools), the Internet (e-health), use of mass media, community approaches, legislative measures, social policy measures involving large groups of nonprofessionals, making joint ventures with public health programmes that already have achieved a large reach in the community, and making links with human rights activities. This special plenary and related presentations at the conference aim to offer more insight in these new strategies and methods and in their outcomes, both in terms of their strengths and limitations.

Resources: WHO Collaborating Centre for Telemedicine in Tromso,
Norway:   www.telemed.no
Australia: www.emedicine.com.au
Canada:  Centre for global e-health information, Toronto: www.ehealthinnovation.org