Expectancies for smoking cessation among drug-involved smokers: implications for clinical practice

Readiness to Quit Smoking among Smokers in Substance Use Treatment: Associations with Stress, Substance Use Severity, Relapse Concerns and Gender

Smoking prevalence among individuals in substance use treatment remains higher than in the general population. Given that many smokers in substance use treatment are reluctant to quit smoking, it is important to understand the factors that impede smokers' readiness to quit. The current study used baseline data from a randomized controlled trial involving 60 adult smokers receiving substance use treatment to investigate relations between the severity of substance use problems (SSUP), perceived stress (PS), concerns about relapse (i.e., concerns that quitting smoking would hurt one's recovery process (CR)), and readiness to quit smoking. This study also investigated moderating roles of concerns about relapse and gender. Regression analyses showed a significant main effect of concerns about relapse on readiness to quit in the next 30 days, but no effect for either severity of substance use problems, perceived stress, or the SSUPxCR interaction. There were significant interaction effects between PS and both gender and CR. Among men and those with lower concerns about relapse, higher perceived stress was significantly associated with lower readiness to quit. Findings suggest that psychoeducation to alleviate concerns that quitting smoking could limit substance use recovery could be beneficial. Stress management interventions may be especially beneficial to men.

Do Pain-Related Anxiety and Difficulties With Emotion Regulation Impact Abstinence Expectancies or Motivation to Quit E-Cigarette Use?

OBJECTIVE

Pain-related anxiety is a psychologically based construct that is associated with tobacco dependence and may have important relevance to e-cigarette use. Difficulties with emotion regulation, a relevant construct in motives for cigarette smoking, may interact with pain-related anxiety to yield worsened clinical outcomes among e-cigarette users. We evaluated whether pain-related anxiety and difficulties with emotion regulation independently and in interaction predict e-cigarette users' expectancies surrounding abstinence and their motivation to stop using e-cigarettes.

METHOD

Daily e-cigarette users (n = 290, mean age= 35.5, SD = 10.9, 56.6% male) completed an online survey about e-cigarette use. We conducted hierarchical multiple regression analyses to evaluate the main and interactive influence of pain-related anxiety and difficulties with emotion regulation on our outcomes.

RESULTS

Increased pain-related anxiety independently predicted negative abstinence expectancies and increased motivation to quit e-cigarette use (ps < .001). Increased difficulties with emotion regulation predicted only negative abstinence expectancies (ps < .01) when pain-related anxiety was included in the model. The interaction between pain-related anxiety and difficulties with emotion regulation was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

As hypothesized, increased pain-related anxiety was associated with both negative expectancies of abstinence and increased motivation to quit e-cigarette use, but contrary to our hypothesis, difficulties with emotion regulation were not significantly associated with increased motivation to quit e-cigarette use when evaluated with pain-related anxiety in the model. These findings may elucidate processes influencing abstinence expectancies and motivation to quit in a sample of e-cigarette users, although replication in a larger, more diverse sample is warranted.

Predictors of reduced smoking quantity among recovering alcohol dependent men in a smoking cessation trial

INTRODUCTION

Adults with alcohol dependence (AD) have exceptionally high smoking rates and poor smoking cessation outcomes. Discovery of factors that predict reduced smoking among AD smokers may help improve treatment. This study examined baseline predictors of smoking quantity among AD smokers in a pharmacotherapy trial for smoking cessation.

METHODS

The sample includes male, AD smokers (N = 129) with 1-32 months of alcohol abstinence who participated in a 12-week trial of medication (topiramate vs. placebo) and adjunct counseling with 6 months of follow-up. Baseline measures of nicotine dependence, AD severity, psychopathology, motivation to quit smoking, and smoking-related cognitions were used to predict smoking quantity (cigarettes per day) at post-treatment and follow-up.

RESULTS

Overall, the sample had statistically significant reductions in smoking quantity. Greater nicotine dependence (Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) = 0.82-0.90), motivation to quit (IRRs = 0.65-0.85), and intrinsic reasons for quitting (IRRs = 0.96-0.98) predicted fewer cigarettes/day. Conversely, greater lifetime AD severity (IRR = 1.02), depression severity (IRRs = 1.05-1.07), impulsivity (IRRs = 1.01-1.03), weight-control expectancies (IRRs = 1.10-1.15), and childhood sexual abuse (IRRs = 1.03-1.07) predicted more cigarettes/day.

CONCLUSIONS

Smokers with AD can achieve large reductions in smoking quantity during treatment, and factors that predict smoking outcomes in the general population also predict greater smoking reductions in AD smokers. Treatment providers can use severity of nicotine dependence and AD, motivation to quit, smoking-related cognitions, and severity of depression to guide treatment and improve outcomes among AD smokers.

Smoking outcome expectancies predict smoking during voucher-based treatment for smokers with substance use disorders

OBJECTIVE

Strong expectations regarding positive effects of smoking may reduce the likelihood of successfully quitting. The Smoking Effects Questionnaire (SEQ) assesses the importance of seven expected positive and negative effects of smoking. SEQ was used to predict responses to contingent monetary rewards for smoking abstinence among smokers with substance use disorders (SUD).

METHODS

Smokers (N = 184) in residential (i.e., 24 h/day) treatment for SUD received 19 consecutive days of either contingent vouchers (CV) for smoking abstinence (twice-daily carbon monoxide [CO] readings) or non-contingent vouchers (NV) plus counseling to motivate smoking cessation. Analyses investigated effects of smoking expectancies on days of smoking within-treatment and number of cigarettes/day at 1 month post-treatment.

RESULTS

Higher positive expectancies for reduced negative affect, weight control, stimulation and positive social effects from smoking were related to more days of smoking during treatment only for participants in the CV condition. Post-treatment, expecting positive social and stimulating effects from smoking were related to more smoking only among CV participants. In both conditions, negative expectancies were largely unrelated to smoking outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The moderation of CV by positive smoking expectancies suggests that those who rate positive expectancies as more important may require a complementary treatment or different incentives to reduce smoking. The SEQ was probably unassociated with smoking in NV due to little reduction in smoking behavior. Helping smokers with SUD develop alternative ways to produce positive effects sought from smoking may be important to improve initial smoking outcomes.

Prevalence of Addiction and Smoking and Their Relationship With Blood Parameters Among Drivers in Zahedan

Background

Although smoking and drug use are the major causes of accidents and death of drivers, few studies have been conducted on the prevalence of smoking and its associated factors in this occupational group.

Objectives

The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of smoking and its relationship with blood parameters among drivers in Zahedan city, Iran.

Patients and Methods

In this study, 1836 inner and intercity drivers were investigated in 2013 in terms of smoking and drug use and blood parameters. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews and necessary examinations and tests, and were analyzed by Stata.12 software using Chi-square, independent t-test, and multiple regression analysis at significance level of 0.05.

Results

Generally, four drivers were addicted to drugs and smoked as well. Two-hundred and eighty eight drivers (15.8%) reported daily smoking. Variables of age, education, and type of vehicle showed a significant relationship with smoking. No significant difference was found in blood parameters between the smokers and non-smokers.

Conclusions

Despite relatively high prevalence of smoking than drug use in Zahedan drivers, there are few reports of these behaviors. Laboratory tests cannot suitably measure substance use due to their interference with other substances. Considering adverse effects of smoking on health and driving, it is necessary to train drivers to reduce or stop smoking during driving.

Smoking Status and Substance Use Treatment Outcomes Among Spanish Speakers Enrolled in Substance Abuse Treatment

OBJECTIVE

Smoking is highly prevalent among individuals with drug and alcohol disorders. Concurrent tobacco dependence treatment during substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is supported, yet the association between SUD treatment outcomes and smoking status has been understudied in minorities, including Latinos.

METHOD

Participants were 322 Spanish-speaking Latinos enrolled in a SUD treatment study in 5 U.S. cities. Logistic regression examined associations between baseline smoking status and treatment outcomes for nontobacco substance use at follow-up. Covariates included age, gender, level of education, marital status, treatment group, and mandated treatment status.

RESULTS

Results indicated smokers had a reduced likelihood of abstinence for all nontobacco substances (p = .001) and their primary drug of use (p = .007).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings contribute to the growing literature indicating a possible beneficial effect of smoking cessation services on SUD treatment, specifically among Latinos. Further research is needed to identify ideal smoking cessation treatments for Latinos.

Marijuana use/cessation expectancies and marijuana use in college students

BACKGROUND

Research suggests that marijuana expectancies are associated with problematic marijuana use; however, these marijuana-related cognitions remain relatively understudied.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined marijuana-related decision-making among college students by exploring the relationships among marijuana expectancies and marijuana use variables.

METHOD

College students (N = 357) endorsing lifetime marijuana use completed an online survey on marijuana use expectancies, marijuana cessation expectancies, marijuana use, and future marijuana use intentions. A simple regression framework was used to test the effect of each type of expectancies on marijuana outcome; a hierarchical regression framework tested the unique predictive validity when both types were entered into the same model.

RESULTS

Both marijuana use expectancies and marijuana cessation expectancies independently predicted a number of marijuana use variables. Additionally, marijuana use expectancies and marijuana cessation expectancies contributed significant unique variance to the prediction of marijuana use.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important to consider both use expectancies and cessation expectancies, as these two domains of marijuana-related cognitions appear to act independently, rather than as opposite ends of the same construct. Longitudinal studies are needed to further examine how these factors interact to influence marijuana use and problems over time.

Concurrent alcohol and tobacco treatment: Effect on daily process measures of alcohol relapse risk

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of alcohol treatment along with concurrent smoking treatment or delayed smoking treatment on process measures related to alcohol relapse risk.

METHOD

Alcohol dependent smokers (N = 151) who were enrolled in an intensive outpatient alcohol treatment program and were interested in smoking cessation were randomized to a concurrent smoking cessation (CSC) intervention or to a waiting list for delayed smoking cessation (DSC) intervention scheduled to begin 3 months later. Daily assessments of relapse process measures were obtained using an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for 12 weeks after the onset of smoking treatment in the CSC condition, and before beginning smoking treatment in the DSC condition. Smoking outcomes were assessed at 2 and 13 weeks after starting treatment.

RESULTS

Seven-day carbon monoxide (CO) verified smoking abstinence in the CSC condition was 50.5% at 2 weeks and 19.0% at 13 weeks compared with 2.2% abstinence at 2 weeks and 0% abstinence at 13 weeks for those in the DSC condition. Drinking outcomes were not significantly different for CSC versus DSC treatment conditions. On daily IVR assessments, CSC participants had significantly lower positive alcohol outcome expectancies relative to DSC participants. Multilevel modeling (MLM) analyses of within-person effects across the 12 weeks of daily monitoring showed that daily smoking abstinence was significantly associated with same day reports of lower alcohol consumption, lower urge to drink, lower negative affect, lower positive alcohol outcome expectancies, greater alcohol abstinence self-efficacy, greater alcohol abstinence readiness to change, and greater perceived self-control demands.

CONCLUSIONS

Analyses of process measures provide support for recommending smoking intervention concurrent with intensive outpatient alcohol treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record

Expectancies for the effectiveness of different tobacco interventions account for racial and gender differences in motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy

INTRODUCTION

Racial and gender disparities for smoking cessation might be accounted for by differences in expectancies for tobacco interventions, but few studies have investigated such differences or their relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 673 smokers (African American: n = 443, 65.8%; women: n = 222, 33.0%) under criminal justice supervision who enrolled in a clinical smoking cessation trial in which all received bupropion and half received counseling. All participants completed pretreatment measures of expectancies for different tobacco interventions, motivation to quit, and abstinence self-efficacy. The indirect effects of race and gender on motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy through expectancies for different tobacco interventions were evaluated.

RESULTS

African Americans' stronger expectancies that behavioral interventions would be effective accounted for their greater motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. Women's stronger expectancies for the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy accounted for their greater motivation to quit, whereas their stronger expectancies for the effectiveness of behavioral treatments accounted for their greater abstinence self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings point to the mediating role of expectancies for treatment effectiveness and suggest the importance of exploring expectancies among African Americans and women as a way to augment motivation and self-efficacy.