Self-help interventions for smoking cessation.

Abstract

Self-help interventions for smoking cessation are an important bridge between the clinical and public health approaches to smoking cessation. The current literature on self-help interventions is encouraging but incomplete. Although their quit rates are lower than those of more intensive programs, self-help interventions could have a large public health impact because of their potential for widespread distribution. Studies comparing self-help to more intensive treatment suggest that long-term cessation rates for self-help programs are potentially as high as rates for face-to-face interventions, with lower quit rates for self-help programs that are likely due to differences in program adherence. Tailored materials and personalized adjuncts (e.g., written feedback or telephone counseling) that promote program adherence may increase cessation rates.

Smoking Cessation Research via the Internet: A Feasibility Study

“…This is comparable with other studies of self-help interventions (Curry, 1993) as well as the results reported by Schneider and colleagues (1990). Additional progress toward the goal of cessation was suggested by a 75% increase over baseline in participants' reported intention to quit smoking, which is considered to be a primary goal of minimal contact=self-help interventions (Glynn, Boyd, & Gruman, 1990).…”

Self‐administered treatment for smoking cessation

“…As reviewed in this article, the current evidence for the effectiveness of selfadministered treatment is mixed. With regard to self-administered behavioral programs, a review of studies conducted primarily in the 1980s reached the optimistic conclusion that wider dissemination of existing written self-help programs along with effective adjuncts such as personalization and outreach telephone counseling could have an significant public health impact (Curry, 1993). Rigorous meta-analyses of these studies along with more recently completed trials reached a similar conclusion.…”

“…(e) What are the predictors of participation and success in self-help programs? Here, we briefly summarize the findings of that review (see Curry, 1993, for a detailed table summarizing 24 randomized evaluations of written self-help smoking cessation programs).…”

“…Such manuals have several intuitively appealing features: (a) They package state-of-theart, cognitive-behavioral intervention components in a format that can be disseminated to millions of smokers; (b) distribution of self-help manuals can occur through a variety of channels at a relatively low cost; (c) with current technology, tailored written programs can be generated quickly on the basis of a smoker's individual characteristics (e.g., stage of readiness to quit, sex, reading level, prior cessation experience, etc. ); (d) smokers can further customize program recommendations to their specific needs and interests (e.g., they can change the order in which they complete recommended exercises or vary the length of time they take to complete the program); and (e) written materials are easy to keep so that smokers who fail to quit on a single attempt are free to repeat the program at any time (Curry, 1993).…”

A abstenção tabágica: Reflexões sobre a recaída

“…Efectuando uma revisão da maioria das investigações conduzidas sobre o comportamento de deixar de fumar, verifica-se que estas incluem seguimentos demasiado curtos, variando desde semanas até 6 meses (em média), estendendo-se alguns entre 12 meses e 18 meses, e muito raramente mais do que ano e meio (Curry, 1993). Stapleton (1998) refere também no seu estudo, que as recaídas surgiram até aos 3 anos e meio de seguimento, enfatizando a necessidade de mais estudos longitudinais, pois as recaídas continuam a verificar-se depois do final do seguimento da maioria dos estudos de cessação tabágica.…”