Effectiveness of Self-Help Smoking Cessation Programs in the 21st Century: A Systematic Review
Laure Fillette1, Isabelle Varescon
1Laure Fillette, MSc, and Isabelle Varescon, Pr, Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé, Université Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
Journal of Addictions Nursing
|August 27, 2025
Summary
Actively engaging self-help smoking cessation programs are most effective. Technological interventions do not outperform traditional methods, and research limitations hinder clear conclusions on smoking cessation effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Diverse self-help smoking cessation programs yield unclear and contradictory results regarding their effectiveness.
- Factors influencing the efficacy of these programs require systematic investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review literature from 2000-2023 on self-help smoking cessation program effectiveness.
- To evaluate outcomes at 6 months post-intervention.
- To identify if specific program types are more effective.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
- Inclusion of 17 studies published between 2000 and 2023.
Main Results:
- Programs with active user engagement demonstrate superior effectiveness.
- Technological smoking cessation programs are not inherently more effective than traditional print-based methods.
- Limitations include lack of control groups, confounding variables, undefined timelines, and potentially inadequate follow-up durations (6 months).
Conclusions:
- Active user involvement is key for effective self-help smoking cessation.
- Current research faces significant limitations in assessing intervention effectiveness.
- Future studies should address methodological weaknesses and explore optimal intervention durations.
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