Nonresponse, partial response, and failure to achieve remission: humanistic and cost burden in major depressive disorder.

Objective: To characterize the spectrum of clinical outcomes achieved with depression treatment and the associated impact on quality of life (QOL), functional status, overall well-being, health-care costs, and productivity.

Sources: Electronic databases including Medline were searched for English language sources between 1995 and 2007 using key words of depression, nonresponse, partial response, and remission and QOL, functional status, utility, cost, and productivity.

Study Selection: Relevant abstracts were obtained for 488 references and full-text articles were reviewed that included primary data and compared outcomes by treatment response.

Media and secondhand smoke exposure: results from a national survey.

Objectives: To investigate whether associations between anti-secondhand smoke (SHS) media, social cognitions about SHS, and home restrictions on smoking follow patterns observed in smoking behavior.

Methods: Based on a nationally representative sample of 2348 US adults drawn from the American Legacy Foundation's American Smoking and Health Survey, we tested relationships among scales of anti-SHS media, social cognitions, and home restrictions.

Results: We found anti-SHS media and SHS cognitions, as well as social cognitions and home restrictions, to be significantly associated.

Pharmacy cost evaluation of risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine for the treatment of schizophrenia in acute care inpatient settings.

Objective: This study examines total pharmacy cost and usage patterns of schizophrenic patients in acute mental health inpatient settings for three atypical antipsychotics -- risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine. Despite the readily available unit cost information for drugs, actual pharmacy costs may deviate significantly from 'labeled costs'. Recent research findings indicate the need for more robust evaluation of such pharmacy costs.

Examination of the relationship between community support and tobacco control activities as a part of youth empowerment programs.

Through the American Legacy Foundation's Statewide Youth Movement Against Tobacco Use (SYMATU), programs aimed at empowering youths to take action against tobacco use were funded. It is believed that the activities these groups undertake result in changes at the community level. This article examines the relationships between community support of tobacco control and the number and types of tobacco control-related activities these local youth groups conduct.

Quantifying the impact of participation in local tobacco control groups on the psychological empowerment of involved youth.

A core component of Legacy's Statewide Youth Movement Against Tobacco Use is the ability of state and local initiatives to empower youth to effect change in their communities. The authors' conceptual framework proposes that youth empowerment is an outcome of the process by which youths become active participants in local efforts. Youths are proposed to attain specific skills (e.

Measurement properties of a nicotine dependence scale for adolescents.

This paper reports on the measurement properties of a scale intended to measure nicotine dependence in adolescents using data from the American Legacy Longitudinal Tobacco Use Reduction Study. The Nicotine Dependence Scale for Adolescents (NDSA) is a simple linear sum of items associated with behaviors to avoid withdrawal and items associated with experiences of craving. An exploratory factor analysis indicated that the items formed a single scale.