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The following definitions have been drawn from numerous sources and are tailored specifically for content on the NREPP Web site. The terms defined here may have slightly different meanings in other settings.

Adaptation: A modification of an intervention to meet the needs of different people or settings. Adapting interventions could include, for example, translating materials into other languages or adjusting content to make it more culturally appropriate for a particular population.
Adverse effect: Any harmful or unwanted change in a study group resulting from the use of an intervention.
Attrition: The loss of study participants during the course of the study due to voluntary dropout or other reasons. Higher rates of attrition can potentially threaten the validity of studies. Attrition is one of the six NREPP criteria used to rate Quality of Research.
Baseline: The initial time point in a study just before the intervention or treatment begins. The information gathered at baseline is used to measure change in targeted outcomes over the course of the study.
Comparison group: A group of individuals that serves as the basis for comparison when assessing the effects of an intervention on a treatment group. A comparison group typically receives some treatment other than they would normally receive and is therefore distinguished from a control group, which often receives no treatment or "usual" treatment. To make the comparison valid, the composition and characteristics of the comparison group should resemble that of the treatment group as closely as possible. Some studies use a control group in addition to a comparison group.
Confounding variables: In an experiment, any characteristic that differs between the experimental group and the comparison group and is not the independent variable under study. These characteristics or variables "confound" the ability to explain the experimental results because they provide an alternative explanation for any observed differences in outcome. In assessing a classroom curriculum, for example, a confounding variable would exist if some students were taught by a highly experienced instructor while other students were taught by a less experienced instructor. The difference in the instructors' experience level makes it harder to determine if the differences in student outcomes (e.g., grades) were caused by the effects of the curriculum or by the variation in instructors. The likelihood that confounding variables might have affected the outcomes of a study is one of the six NREPP criteria used to rate Quality of Research.
Control group: A group of individuals that serves as the basis of comparison when assessing the effects of an intervention on a treatment group. Depending upon the study design, a control group may receive no treatment, a "usual" or "standard" treatment, or a placebo. The composition and characteristics of the control group should resemble that of the treatment group as closely as possible to make the comparison valid.
Co-occurring disorders: In the context of NREPP, substance abuse and mental disorders that often occur in the same individual at the same time (e.g., alcohol dependence and depression); also known as comorbid disorders.
Cultural appropriateness: In the context of public health, sensitivity to the differences among ethnic, racial, and/or linguistic groups and awareness of how people's cultural background, beliefs, traditions, socioeconomic status, history, and other factors affect their needs and how they respond to services. Generally used to describe interventions or practices.
Cultural competence: In the context of public health, the knowledge and sensitivity necessary to tailor interventions and services to reflect the norms and culture of the target population and avoid styles of behavior and communication that are inappropriate, marginalizing, or offensive to that population. Generally used to describe people or institutions. Because of the changing nature of people and cultures, cultural competence is seen as a continual and evolving process of adaptation and refinement.
DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders): The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, is the standard reference handbook used by mental health professionals in the United States to classify mental disorders. There have been five revisions of the DSM since it was first published by the American Psychiatric Association in 1952. The most recent version is the DSM-IV or Fourth Edition, published in 1994; a text revision (DSM-IV-TR) was published in 2000. Earlier editions that may be referenced in NREPP include the DSM-III (1980) and DSM-III-R (1987).
Effective Program: A label used in SAMHSA's former NREPP system to refer to science-based programs that consistently achieved positive outcomes. SAMHSA no longer uses this designation. A few Effective Programs were re-reviewed for NREPP using updated criteria in 2006-2007 and can now be found through the Find Interventions page. All other Effective Programs are listed in the Legacy Programs section. See also Model Program, Promising Program
Evidence-based: Approaches to prevention or treatment that are based in theory and have undergone scientific evaluation. "Evidence-based" stands in contrast to approaches that are based on tradition, convention, belief, or anecdotal evidence.
Externalizing behaviors: Social behaviors and other external cues that reflect an individual's internal emotional or psychological conflicts. Examples include spontaneous weeping, "acting out," and uncharacteristic aggression. Reduction of externalizing behaviors is a frequently used measure of the success of treatment or intervention for mental or emotional disorders.
Fidelity: Fidelity of implementation occurs when implementers of a research-based program or intervention (e.g., teachers, clinicians, counselors) closely follow or adhere to the protocols and techniques that are defined as part of the intervention. For example, for a school-based prevention curriculum, fidelity could involve using the program for the proper grade levels and age groups, following the developer's recommendations for the number of sessions per week, sequencing multiple program components correctly, and conducting assessments and evaluations using the recommended or provided tools.
Implementation: The use of a prevention or treatment intervention in a specific community-based or clinical practice setting with a particular target audience.
Indicated: One of the three categories (Universal, Selective, Indicated) developed by the Institute of Medicine to classify preventive interventions. Indicated prevention strategies focus on preventing the onset or development of problems in individuals who may be showing early signs but are not yet meeting diagnostic levels of a particular disorder.
Internalizing behaviors: Behaviors that reflect an individual's transfer of external social or situational stresses to emotional, psychological, or physical symptoms. One well-known internalizing behavior is a child's development of stomach cramps when the parents argue; another is insomnia during a high-stress situation at work. Reduction of internalizing behaviors is a frequently used measure of the success of treatment or intervention for mental or emotional disorders.
Intervention: A strategy or approach intended to prevent an undesirable outcome (preventive intervention), promote a desirable outcome (promotion intervention) or alter the course of an existing condition (treatment intervention).
Legacy Programs: The label used by SAMHSA for all former Effective and Promising Programs, which were reviewed between 1997 and 2004 as part of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's Model Programs Initiative. Summaries for these Legacy Programs are listed in the Legacy Programs section of the NREPP Web site.
Mental health promotion: Attempts to (a) encourage and increase protective factors and healthy behaviors that can help prevent the onset of a diagnosable mental disorder and (b) reduce risk factors that can lead to the development of a mental disorder.
Mental health treatment: Assistance to individuals for existing mental health conditions or disorders.
Missing data: Data or information that researchers intended to collect during a study that was not actually collected or was collected incompletely. Missing data may occur, for example, when survey respondents do not answer all questions in a survey, or when the researchers "throw out" or exclude survey questions because the responses do not meet validation checks. Missing data can threaten the validity and reliability of a study if steps are not taken to compensate for or "impute" (replace with calculated data) the missing information. Missing data are one of the six NREPP criteria used to rate Quality of Research.
Model Program: A label used in SAMHSA's former NREPP system to refer to science-based programs that were effective and readily available for dissemination. SAMHSA no longer uses this designation. Most of the Model Programs were re-reviewed for NREPP using updated criteria in 2006-2007 and can now be found through the Find Interventions page. See also Effective Program, Promising Program
Outcome: A change in behavior, physiology, attitudes, or knowledge that can be quantified using standardized scales or assessment tools. In the context of NREPP, outcomes refer to measurable changes in the health of an individual or group of people that are attributable to the intervention.
Promising Program: A label used in SAMHSA's former NREPP system to refer to science-based programs that showed at least some positive outcomes. SAMHSA no longer uses this designation. A few Promising Programs were re-reviewed for NREPP using updated criteria in 2006-2007 and can now be found through the Find Interventions page. All other Promising Programs are listed in the Legacy Programs section. See also Effective Program, Model Program
Psychometrics: The construction of instruments and procedures for measurement.
Quality assurance: Activities and processes used to check fidelity and the quality of implementation.
Quality of Research: One of the two main categories of NREPP ratings. Quality of Research (QOR) is how NREPP quantifies the strength of evidence supporting the results or outcomes of the intervention. Each outcome is rated separately. This is because interventions may target multiple outcomes, and the evidence supporting the different outcomes may vary. These QOR ratings are followed by brief "Strengths and Weaknesses" statements where reviewers comment on the studies and materials they reviewed and explain what factors may have contributed to high or low ratings. For more information on the scientific reviewers who rate QOR and how ratings are derived, see the NREPP page on Review Process.
Ratings: NREPP provides two types of ratings for each intervention reviewed: Quality of Research and Readiness for Dissemination. Each intervention has multiple Quality of Research ratings (one per outcome) and one overall Readiness for Dissemination rating. QOR and RFD ratings are followed by brief "Strengths and Weaknesses" statements where reviewers comment on the studies and materials they reviewed and explain what factors may have contributed to high or low ratings.
Readiness for Dissemination: One of the two main categories of NREPP ratings. Readiness for Dissemination (RFD) is how NREPP quantifies and describes the quality and availability of an intervention's training and implementation materials. More generally, it describes how easily the intervention can be implemented with fidelity in a real-world application using the materials and services that are currently available to the public. For more information on the reviewers who rate RFD and how ratings are derived, see the NREPP page on Review Process.
Reliability: Consistency in measurement, or the ability to get the same result from an instrument or experiment over multiple trials; often expressed in terms of test/retest reliability (the ability to get the same results in a repeated test) and internal consistency (evaluating an instrument to see if multiple items are measuring the same concepts in the same way). Reliability is one of the six NREPP criteria used to rate Quality of Research.
Replication: In the context of NREPP, an implementation of an intervention that has been documented and formally evaluated.
Research designs: Research designs can be divided into three broad categories: experimental, quasi-experimental, and preexperimental. Experimental designs are generally considered the most rigorous because they use control groups, which improve one's ability to draw strong conclusions about the effectiveness of the intervention. This category includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Quasi-experimental designs provide strong but more limited scientific evidence compared with experimental designs. These designs are often the best option when it is impossible or very difficult to obtain a control group (as with some community and workplace interventions, for example). Preexperimental designs include simple observational and case studies; they provide the most limited scientific evidence of the three categories of research designs.
Selective: One of the three categories (Universal, Selective, Indicated) developed by the Institute of Medicine to classify preventive interventions. Selective prevention strategies focus on specific groups viewed as being at higher risk for mental health disorders or substance abuse because of highly correlated factors (e.g., children of parents with substance abuse problems).
Substance abuse prevention: Attempts to stop substance abuse before it starts, either by increasing protective factors or by minimizing risk factors.
Substance abuse treatment: Assistance to individuals for existing substance abuse disorders.
Symptomatalogy: The combined symptoms or signs of a disorder or disease.
Universal: One of the three categories (Universal, Selective, Indicated) developed by the Institute of Medicine to classify preventive interventions. Universal prevention strategies address the entire population (national, local community, school, neighborhood), with messages and programs to prevent or delay the use/abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
Validity: The degree to which a given experiment or study actually measures what it claims to measure. There are many types of validity. Three of the most commonly described types of validity are internal validity (the extent to which the experimental techniques used are good enough to support a cause-effect relationship), external validity (how well outside variables affecting the results are controlled), and construct validity (whether the measurement tools or techniques capture or approximate the theoretical ideal of what is being measured). Validity is one of the six NREPP criteria used to rate Quality of Research.