Mood management intervention for college smokers with elevated depressive symptoms: a pilot study

This pilot study examined smoking reduction and cessation among college smokers with elevated depressive symptomatology participating in a group-based behavioral counseling, mood management, and motivational enhancement combined intervention (CBT).

Fifty-eight smokers (smoked 6 days in the past 30) were randomized to 6 sessions of CBT (n = 29) or a nutrition-focused attention-matched control group (CG; n = 29).

Relative to CG participants, significantly more CBT participants reduced smoking intensity by 50% (χ(2)[1, N = 58] = 4.86, p = .028) at end of treatment. Although CBT participants maintained smoking reductions at 3- and 6-month follow-up, group differences were no longer significant. No group differences in cessation emerged. Finally, participants in both groups evidenced increased motivation to reduce smoking at end of treatment (F[1, 44] = 11.717, p = .001, η(p)(2) = .207).

Findings demonstrate the utility of this intervention for smoking reduction and maintenance of reductions over time among a population of college students with elevated depressive symptomatology.