Types of Smokers Who Seek Smoking Cessation Treatment According to Psychopathology

Psychopathology and psychological distress have been shown to be related to poor smoking cessation outcomes and abstinence maintenance. Thus, it is important to identify individuals with high levels of psychopathology before undergoing smoking cessation treatment in order to increase their likelihood of success.

The primary aim of the present study was to analyze whether we could classify smokers by using self-reported measures of psychopathology. In addition, a secondary aim was to examine if there were significant differences among the groups of smokers regarding sociodemographic information, nicotine dependence, and cessation rates at the end of treatment and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups.

Participants were 281 smokers seeking smoking cessation treatment. Participants were classified into different smoking groups by using a 2-step cluster analysis based on baseline scores on the Restructured Clinical (RC) scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

Smokers were classified into 3 groups according to levels of psychopathology: Low (n = 158), Intermediate (n = 78), and High (n = 45). Smokers in the High Group were more likely to present higher levels of psychopathology and to continue smoking at the end of treatment when compared with the two other clusters. In addition, smokers classified in this group were more likely to be nicotine dependent and from a low social class.

A subgroup of smokers can be easily identified through self-report measures of psychopathology. Furthermore, these individuals were more likely to continue smoking at the end of treatment. This suggests that this group with high levels of psychopathology might benefit from future interventions that are more intensive or cessation treatments targeted to their specific characteristics.