Relapse coping and problem solving training following treatment for smoking.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Addiction Research
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Relapse remains a significant challenge in smoking cessation programs.
• The Marlatt and Gordon cognitive-behavioral model offers a framework for understanding relapse.
• Effective maintenance strategies are crucial for long-term smoking abstinence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of different maintenance strategies for smoking relapse prevention.
• To test specific components of the Marlatt and Gordon cognitive-behavioral model.
• To examine the role of self-efficacy and guilt in smoking relapse.

Main Methods:

• 33 subjects completing an initial smoking cessation program were randomized into four maintenance conditions.
• Interventions included problem-solving training, attention placebo control, and guilt-coping skills training.
• Self-efficacy expectations and smoking rates were monitored up to a 5-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Problem-solving training significantly reduced relapse rates compared to an attention placebo control.
• Self-efficacy expectations were predictive of smoking rates over a 5-month period.
• Contrary to the model's predictions, training in coping with guilt was associated with increased relapse.

Conclusions:

• Problem-solving skills represent a viable strategy for preventing smoking relapse.
• Self-efficacy is a key predictor of sustained smoking abstinence.
• The role of guilt in relapse may be more complex than proposed by the Marlatt and Gordon model, requiring further investigation.