Deputy Director
Institute for Health Research and Policy

Office:528 WROB
Phone: (312)-996-1469
Email: robinm@uic.edu
Mailing Address:
Institute for Health Research and Policy
1747 W. Roosevelt Rd., Room 558
Chicago, IL 60608

Education:
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Ph.D., University of Oregon, Eugene
M.A., University of Oregon, Eugene
B.A., Pomona College

Research Interests:
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Development and evaluation of health-related interventions; etiology and maintenance of health behaviors; tobacco use; adolescent smoking and problem behaviors; cancer prevention; ecological momentary assessment methodology.

Statement of Research Interests:
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My research interests are broadly focused in the area of health psychology and health behavior change. My primary area of interest is understanding more about the trajectories of cigarette smoking, from initiation through cessation. Smoking is a complex and intractable behavior that has enormous health consequences; smoking accounts for more than one of every six deaths in the U.S. today. Smoking also represents an intriguing interplay of psychological, biological, and social/environmental/cultural factors. Currently, approximately 23% of adults in the United States smoke, and 35% of high school seniors smoke. Despite several decades of attention to the problems of preventing youth initiation and increasing adult cessation, many fundamental questions about smoking remain unanswered. Why, for example, do some adolescents experiment with tobacco and progress to regular use and dependency, while others do not? Why do the overwhelming majority of individuals who initially succeed at stopping smoking rapidly relapse? Much of my recent research has focused on understanding more about the factors that influence both the initiation and cessation processes and trajectories, including developing and evaluating empirically-derived interventions to influence these processes.

Social-Emotional Contexts of Adolescent Smoking Patterns

Despite almost three decades of attention to the problem of adolescent smoking, relatively little attention has been paid to addressing the question of how adolescents progress from experimentation to subsequent stages of use, and what predicts transitions up or down at each level. The overall goal of this program project (funded by the National Cancer Institute) is to increase our understanding of the patterns of adolescent smoking. Our hope is to track the natural history of these patterns and to examine in-depth some key, selected contextual factors that may influence them. Our focus is on the social-emotional contexts with an emphasis on depression, anxiety, problem behaviors, and positive affective domains. As a program project, we will examine the intersections of these social and emotional domains. The cornerstone of this program project is the establishment and maintenance of a high-quality cohort of adolescents. Our design in establishing this cohort draws on elements of both epidemiology and developmental psychology, and may be thought of as an "accelerated developmental trajectory of smoking." We will develop our sample in a planned way, maximizing our ability to study movement across levels or stages of smoking. Our program project comprises three research projects and three cores. The three research projects are: 1) Proximal Contexts of Adolescent Smoking Patterns (Robin Mermelstein, P.I.); 2) Developmental Influences on Adolescent Smoking Patterns (Lauren Wakschlag, P.I.); and 3) Smoking's Effect on Emotion in Adolescent Smokers (Jon Kassel, P.I.). All three projects utilize a common core cohort to test broad-based hypotheses, and in addition, each project utilizes a state-of-the-art, in-depth measurement modality to examine intensively key constructs on a sub-sample of the cohort. Across the projects, we will use a combination of ecological momentary assessments through the use of hand-held computers (Project 1), family observations of parent-adolescent discussions and interactions (Project 2), and psychophysiological reactions of adolescents to smoking in controlled laboratory settings (Project 3). State-of-the-art analytic techniques will explore the intersections of these variables. We will have three cores. The cores allow us to develop a series of integrated, cross-project analyses and papers that address how combinations of variables across projects (e.g., family, peer, situational/contextual, emotional) conjoin with each other in producing the patterns of adolescent smoking from experimentation onward. These cores will support the basic functions of the program project, including the establishment and maintenance of the cohort. The three cores are: A) Scientific/Administrative Core (Robin Mermelstein, Director); B) Recruitment and Retention Core (Susan Curry, Director); and C) Data Management, Measurement, and Statistics Core (Donald Hedeker, Director). Visit the project website at www.healthconnectionsstudy.org.

Youth Smoking Cessation

My current work on adolescent smoking also includes addressing the problem of youth smoking cessation. Despite the increasing rates of regular smoking among adolescents, cessation programming for youth has been virtually ignored until the last few years. Researchers and practitioners either assumed that adolescents would “mature out” of smoking or that adult approaches to cessation would work just as well for adolescents. Unfortunately, both of these assumptions have been found to be erroneous. Longitudinal evidence suggests that the overwhelming majority of youth who smoke regularly continue to smoke as adults; and unfortunately, our cessation interventions or approaches that have good success with adults seem to fail miserably with youth. Over the past several years, I have been involved with considering and investigating approaches to youth cessation, including addressing the methodological gaps/needs that are challenging with this population. Currently, I am working as part of a team led by Sue Curry, Ph.D., to identify and evaluate “real world” approaches to youth cessation. This project, “Helping Young Smokers Quit,” is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and co-funded by the National Cancer Institute-Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Tobacco Control Branch, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Office on Smoking and Health. The Helping Young Smokers Quit initiative is a two-phase project that addresses the critical need to disseminate effective, developmentally appropriate cessation programs for adolescent smokers. While a growing number of teen cessation programs are available, little is known about: how many programs exist, where they are located, what services they offer, what populations they serve, or how they provide treatment. Moreover, only a handful of such programs have been evaluated. The HYSQ initiative has two primary aims: 1) Identify and describe tobacco treatment programs available to youth across the United States, and 2) Evaluate smoking cessation programs that are tailored for youth to help understand what works. Visit the HYSQ website at www.helpingyoungsmokersquit.org.

Translating Tobacco Research into Action: Translational Research, Policy Research, and Transdisciplinary Collaborations

Over the past few years, my research and scholarly interests have expanded beyond the traditional clinical trials and more “basic science” approaches to considering and fostering ways to translate research results into practice and policy. The “Partners” program, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is one example of this effort. In the fall, 1999, the NCI and NIDA awarded grants to seven sites under the joint Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Centers (TTURC) initiative. The TTURC initiative arose out of the notion that for significant gains to be made in addressing the tobacco problem, researchers needed to take a more transdisciplinary approach. The RWJF committed additional funds to these Centers to improve the translational research efforts (e.g., research on policy implications). My role as Director of the Partners Program is to help foster, develop, and oversee translational policy research at all of the seven funded centers. In addition, our goal is also to foster collaborative communications efforts at each of the centers and across all centers, ensuring that translation of research findings more directly to key stakeholders. Visit the Partners/TTURC website at www.tturcpartners.com

Selected Publications:
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Mermelstein, R., Lichtenstein, E., & McIntyre, K. (1983). Partner support and relapse in smoking cessation programs. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 465-466.

Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 385-396.

Cohen, S., Mermelstein, R., Kamarck, T., & Hoberman, H. (1985). Measuring the functional components of social support. In I. Sarason & B. Sarason (Eds.), Social Support: Theory, Research and Applications. The Hague, Holland: Martines Niijhoff.

Kingsolver, K., Lichtenstein, E., & Mermelstein, R. (1986). Spouse training in a multicomponent smoking cessation program. Behavior Therapy, 17, 67-74.

Mermelstein, R., Cohen, S., Lichtenstein, E., Baer, J., & Kamarck, T. (1986). Social support and smoking cessation and maintenance. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 447-453.

Mermelstein, R., & Riesenberg, L. (1992). Changing knowledge and attitudes about skin cancer risk factors among adolescents. Health Psychology, 11, 371-376.

Mermelstein, R., Karnatz, T., & Reichmann, S. (1992). Relapse in smoking cessation. In P. Miller (Ed.), Principles and Practice of Relapse Prevention. New York: Guilford Press, pp.43-68.

Gruder, C. L., Mermelstein, R., Kirkendol, S., Hedeker, D., Wong, S.C., Schreckengost, J., Warnecke, R.B., Burzette, R., & Miller, T. (1993). Effects of social support and relapse prevention training on the long-term effectiveness of a televised smoking cessation intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 113-120.

Shadel, W., & Mermelstein, R. (1993). Cigarette smoking under stress: The role of coping expectancies. Health Psychology, 12, 443-450.

Borrelli, B., & Mermelstein, R. (1994). Goal setting and behavior change in a smoking cessation program. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 18, 69-83.

Shadel, W. & Mermelstein, R. (1996). Individual differences in self-concept among smokers attempting to quit: Validation and predictive utility of measures of the smoker self-concept and abstainer self-concept. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 18, 151-156.

Shadel, W., Mermelstein, R., & Borrelli, B. (1996). Self-schema changes over time in cognitive-behavioral treatment for smoking cessation. Addictive Behaviors, 21, 659-663.

Hedeker, D., & Mermelstein, R. (1996). Random-effects regression models in relapse research. Addictions, 91, S211-S229.

Borrelli, B., & Mermelstein, R. (1998). The role of weight concern and self-efficacy in smoking cessation and weight gain among smokers in a clinic-based cessation program. Addictive Behaviors., 23, 609-622.

Hedeker, D. & Mermelstein, R. (1998). A multilevel thresholds of change model for analysis of stages of change data. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 33, 427-455.

Mermelstein, R., Weeks, K., Turner, L., & Cobb. J. (1999). When tailored feedback backfires: A skin cancer prevention intervention for adolescents. Cancer Research, Therapy, and Control, 8, 69-79.

Hedeker, D., Mermelstein, R., & Weeks, K. (1999) The thresholds of change model: An approach to analyzing stages of change data. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 21, 61-70.

Mermelstein, R. (1999). Ethnicity, Gender, and Risk Factors for Smoking Initiation. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 1, S39-S43.

Mermelstein, R. (1999). Explanations of Ethnic and Gender Differences in Youth Smoking: A Multi-Site, Qualitative Investigation Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 1, S91-S98.

Hedeker, D., & Mermelstein, R. (2000). Analysis of longitudinal substance use outcomes using ordinal random-effects regression models. Addiction, 95, S381-S394.

Mermelstein, R., Colby, S., Patten, C., Prokhorov, A., Brown, R., Myers, M., Adelman, W., Hudmon, K., & McDonald, P. (2002). Methodological issues in measuring treatment outcome in adolescent smoking cessation studies. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 4, 395-403.

Crawford, M.A., Balch, G., & Mermelstein, R. (2002). Responses to tobacco control policies among youths. Tobacco Control, 11, 14-19.

Moolchan, E. & Mermelstein, R. (2002). Tobacco research among teenagers: The bumpy road of ethical challenges. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30, 409-417.

Mermelstein, R., Hedeker, D., & Wong, S. (2003). Extended phone counseling for smoking cessation: Does content matter? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 565-574.

Mermelstein, R. (2003). Teen Smoking Cessation. Tobacco Control, 12 Suppl 1, 125-134.

Abrams, D., Leslie, F., Mermelstein, R., Kobus, K., & Clayton, R. (2003). Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 5, S5-S10.

Jamner, L., Whalen, C., Loughlin, S., Mermelstein, R., Audrain-McGovern, J., Krishnam-Sarin, S., Worden, J.K., & Leslie, F. (2003). Tobacco use across the formative years: A roadmap to developmental vulnerabilities. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 5, S71-S88.

Kodl, M. & Mermelstein, R. (2004). Beyond modeling: Potential psychosocial mediators of the relationship between parental smoking and adolescent smoking. Addictive Behaviors, 29, 17-32.

Balch, G., Tworek, C., Barker, D., Sasso, B., Mermelstein, R., Giovino, G. (2004). Opportunties for Youth Smoking Cessation: Findings From a National Focus Group Study. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 6, 1-9.

Turner, L., Mermelstein, R., & Flay, B. (2004). Individual and contextual risk factors for smoking among adolescents. Annals of the NY Academy of Science, 1021, 175-197.

Turner, L., Mermelstein, R., Berbaum, M., & Veldhuis, C. (2004). School-based smoking cessation programs for adolescents: What predicts attendance. Nicotine and Tobacco Research., 6, 559-568.

Diviak, K., Curry, S.J., Emery, S.L., & Mermelstein, R. (2004). Human subjects' challenges in youth tobacco cessation research. Ethics and Human Behavior, 14, 321-334.

Turner, L.R., & Mermelstein, R. (2004). Motivation and reasons to quit: Predictive validity among adolescent smokers. American Journal of Health Behavior, 28, 385-396.

Hughes, J.R., Benowitz, N., Hatsukami, D., Mermelstein, R., & Shiffman, S. (2004). Clarification of SRNT Workgroup guidelines for measures in clinical trials of smoking cessation therapies. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 6, 863-864.

Kassel, J.D., Weinstein, S., Skitch, S., Beilleux, J., & Mermelstein, R. (2005). The development of substance abuse in adolescence: Correlates, causes, and consequences. In Hankin, B.L. & Abela, J.R.Z. (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology: A vulnerability-stress perspective. New York: Sage Publications.

Turner, L.R., & Mermelstein, R. (2005). Psychosocial variables associated with sun protection among parents of young children. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 28(1), 77-90.

Turner, L, Veldhuis, C.B., & Mermelstein, R. (2005). Adolescent Smokers: Are infrequent and occasional smokers ready to quit? Substance Use and Misuse, 40, 1127-1137.

Wahl, S.K., Turner, L., Mermelstein, R., & Flay, B. (2005). Adolescents' smoking expectancies: Psychometric properties and predictions of behavior change. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 7, 613-623.

Hedeker, D., Mermelstein, R., & Flay, B. (2006). Application of Item Response Theory Models for intensive longitudinal data. In T. Walls & J. Schafer (Eds.), Models for Intensive Longitudinal Data. Oxford Press, pp. 84-108.

Hedeker, D. & Mermelstein, R. (in press). Mixed-effects regression models with heterogeneous variance: Analyzing ecological momentary assessment data of smoking. In T.D. Little, J.A. Bovaird, & N.A. Card (Eds.), Modeling Ecological and Contextual Effects in Longitudinal Studies of Human Development.

Diviak, K., Wahl, S., O’Keefe, J., Mermelstein, R., & Flay, B. (2006). Recruitment and retention of adolescents in a smoking trajectory study: Who participates and lessons learned. Substance Use and Misuse, 41, 1-8.

Curry, S., & Mermelstein, R. (2006). Do as I say, not as I do. Does it work for tobacco prevention? Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 160, 102-103.

Mermelstein, R., & Wahl, S.K. (In press). The prevention of tobacco use. In S.M.Miller, D.J. Bowen, R.T.Croyle, & J. Rowland (Eds). Handbook of Behavioral Science and Cancer.

Mermelstein, R., Hedeker, D., Flay, B., & Shiffman, S. (in press) Real time data capture and adolescent cigarette smoking. In A. Stone, S. Shiffman, & A. Atienza (Eds)., The Science of Real-Time Data Capture: Self-Report in Health Research. Oxford University Press.

Hedeker, D., Berbaum, M., & Mermelstein, R. (2006). Location scale models for multi-level ordinal data: Between and within-subjects variance modeling. Journal of Probability and Statistical Science, 4, 1-20.

Curry, S., Emery, S., Sporer, A., Mermelstein, R., Flay, B., Berbaum, M., et al. (in press). A national survey of youth tobacco cessation programs. American Journal of Public Health.

Weinstein, S.M., Mermelstein, R., Hedeker, D., Hankin, B.L., & Flay, B. (2006). The time-varying influences of peer and family support on adolescent daily positive and negative affect. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 420-430.

Weinstein, S.M. Mermelstein, R. Hankin, B.L., Hedeker, D., & Flay, B. (in press). Longitudinal patterns of daily affect and global mood during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence.

Mermelstein, R., & Turner, L. (in press). Web-based support as an adjunct to group-based smoking cessation for adolescents. Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

Hankin, B., Roesch, L., Mermelstein, R., & Flay, B. (in press). Sex Differences in Adolescent Depression: Stress Response and Reactivity Models in Interpersonal and Achievement Contextual Domains. Child Development.