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How does coping help people resist lapses during smoking cessation?
Kathleen A O'Connell1, Vanessa L Hosein, Joseph E Schwartz
1Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA. oconnell@tc.columbia.edu
Summary
Using multiple coping strategies aids smoking cessation by reducing cravings. No single strategy proved superior, but combined approaches effectively prevent lapses during temptations.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Addiction Research
- Psychology
Background:
- Smoking cessation is challenging, with high relapse rates.
- Understanding effective coping mechanisms is crucial for successful quitting.
- Urge levels and lapses are key indicators of cessation success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess if different coping strategies impact smoking cessation differently.
- To investigate how coping strategies prevent smoking lapses.
- To determine the effect of coping strategies on reducing smoking urges.
Main Methods:
- Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) used with 61 participants.
- Participants reported coping strategies and urge levels via palm-top devices.
- Multilevel linear regression analyzed strategy effects on lapses and urges.
Main Results:
- A greater number of coping strategies predicted resisting smoking and reduced urges.
- Movement/exercise strategies were marginally less effective in preventing lapses.
- Food/drink strategies showed a marginal association with increased post-coping urges.
Conclusions:
- Multiple coping strategies are beneficial for resisting smoking urges.
- No single coping strategy demonstrated superior effectiveness over others.
- Coping strategies primarily prevent lapses by mitigating high urge levels during temptation.
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