Mindfulness training for smoking cessation: results from a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Cigarette smoking remains a primary cause of preventable mortality globally, with limited success in long-term cessation.
• Mindfulness training (MT) has demonstrated efficacy in managing psychiatric conditions and addictions.
• The effectiveness of MT for smoking cessation has not been rigorously evaluated using randomized clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of mindfulness training (MT) as a smoking cessation intervention.
• To compare MT with a standard smoking cessation program, the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking (FFS).

Main Methods:

• Eighty-eight treatment-seeking adults with nicotine dependence were randomized to receive either MT or FFS.
• Both interventions consisted of eight group sessions delivered over four weeks.
• Primary outcomes included 7-day point prevalence abstinence and reduction in cigarettes smoked per day, assessed at week 4 and week 17 follow-up.

Main Results:

• Mindfulness training (MT) participants demonstrated significantly greater reductions in cigarette consumption during treatment and maintained these reductions at follow-up.
• A trend towards higher abstinence rates was observed at the end of treatment for the MT group (36% vs. 15%).
• The MT group achieved statistically significant higher point prevalence abstinence rates at the 17-week follow-up (31% vs. 6%).

Conclusions:

• This randomized clinical trial suggests that mindfulness training (MT) may offer superior benefits for smoking cessation compared to standard treatments.
• MT presents a potentially effective alternative or adjunct therapy for individuals seeking to quit smoking.