Socio-Environmental Risks for Untreated Depression Among Formerly Incarcerated Latino Men.

Socio-Environmental Risks for Untreated Depression Among Formerly Incarcerated Latino Men.

J Immigr Minor Health. 2013 Mar 19;
Muñoz-Laboy M, Worthington N, Perry A, Guilamo-Ramos V, Cabassa L, Lee J, Severson N

To identify the levels of untreated depression and the socio-environmental factors associated with it among formerly incarcerated Latino men (FILM). Cross-sectional survey with 259 FILM ages 18-49 who were released from prison/jail within the prior 5 years. Depression was measured by the brief symptom inventory (BSI). Backward elimination was used to determine the best regression models. 26.9 % of the study sample reported depression. Low familism, residing farther away from family members, low utilization of health and social services, high levels of loneliness and high lifetime and current frequency of alcohol use were also associated with depression. Depression is a major problem among FILM. Addressing untreated depression among FILM must be a public health priority. HubMed – depression

[The Link Between Self-Construal and Mental Distress in Turkish Migrants and German Women with Depression.]

Psychiatr Prax. 2013 Mar 18;
Balkir N, Arens EA, Wolff C, Barnow S

Objective: The current study aims to analyze cultural differences in the patterns of self-construals (interdependent vs. independent) and their relation to mental distress in a sample of depressed Turkish migrants and German women.Methods: A total number of 56 in-patients with a diagnosis of major depression were compared in terms of self-construals and their relations to different aspects of mental distress.Results: Turkish patients exhibited a stronger interdependent self-construal compared to Germans, whereas no group differences were observed with respect to independence. While for Turkish patients a higher level of interdependence was associated with lower levels of mental distress, the reverse was true for German patients. However, there were no significant ethnic differences in the associations between independence and mental distress.Conclusions: The current study provides evidence that the relation between self-construal and mental distress is moderated by patient’s cultural background. The findings have implications for integrating self-construals into psychotherapy practice with culturally diverse populations, in order to adjust therapy goals and intervention techniques. HubMed – depression

Design and semiparametric analysis of non-inferiority trials with active and placebo control for censored time-to-event data.

Stat Med. 2013 Mar 18;
Kombrink K, Munk A, Friede T

The clinical trial design including a test treatment, an active control and a placebo is called the gold standard design. In this paper, we develop a statistical method for planning and evaluating non-inferiority trials with gold standard design for right-censored time-to-event data. We consider both lost to follow-up and administrative censoring. We present a semiparametric approach that only assumes the proportionality of the hazard functions. In particular, we develop an algorithm for calculating the minimal total sample size and its optimal allocation to treatment groups such that a desired power can be attained for a specific parameter constellation under the alternative. For the purpose of sample size calculation, we assume the endpoints to be Weibull distributed. By means of simulations, we investigate the actual type I error rate, power and the accuracy of the calculated sample sizes. Finally, we compare our procedure with a previously proposed procedure assuming exponentially distributed event times. To illustrate our method, we consider a double-blinded, randomized, active and placebo controlled trial in major depression. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. HubMed – depression