Relational Skills and Client Language Predict Outcome in Smoking Cessation Treatment

We currently lack insight into the predictive processes of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in smoking cessation treatment. More knowledge is necessary to be able to further enhance the treatment effect in smoking cessation interventions.

To examine certain hypothesized active components of MI in smoking cessation treatment delivered in an ordinary clinical setting.

Audio-recordings of 106 smoking cessation treatment sessions were analyzed using the Motivational Interviewing Sequential Code for Observing Process Exchanges (MI-SCOPE) Coder's Manual and the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity code (MITI) Manual, version 3.1. The outcome measure was self-reported 6-month continuous abstinence at 12-month follow-up.

Client Activation utterances in favor of change were positively associated with smoking cessation at follow-up. The combined category of client language expressing a Desire or a Need to continue to smoke was negatively predictive of smoking cessation. In addition, we found preliminary support for a negative interaction effect between counselors' demonstration of the spirit of MI and clients Activation utterances in favor of change. Conclusions/Importance: Our data suggest that if smoking cessation counselors cultivate client Activation utterances in favor of abstinence and softening client utterances expressing desire or perceived need to smoke, this could contribute to higher rates of treatment success. In addition, counselors' demonstration of the spirit of MI was a statistically significant predictor of outcome when the negative interaction effect between Activation utterances in favor of change and MI spirit was taken into account. These findings should be evaluated in larger studies in the future.