We also know that for many psychiatric and substance use disorders, environmental interventions can be effective at both preventing and treating the disorder. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapy has been found to be about as effective as pharmaceutical treatment for depression, with the combination of pharmaceutical treatment with cognitive-behavioral therapy showing significant gains in recovery (Keller et al., 2000). A number of other environmental and social interventions also have been shown prevent or reduce the incidence of depression and anxiety, such as exercise (Hearing et al., 2016), mindfulness (Hofmann et al., 2010), and social engagement (Nagy & Moore, 2017). Smoking also provides a clear example of the impact of environmental intervention, whereby changing laws regarding taxation can alter accessibility and affordability of the product, and subsequently alter rates of tobacco consumption (Chaloupka et al., 2012). Family and school based intervention have also been shown to be effective for altering substance use and conduct problems (Brody et al., 2009b, Dishion et al., 2014). Further, there is suggestion that individuals who are most at risk are also most likely to benefit from intervention (Conrod, 2016; Mun, White, & Morgan, 2009; Savage et al., 2015).
