Health Psychology : a Textbook

 Perceived stress scale (Cohen et al. 1985), which measures how much perceived stress

the individual has experienced in the last month.


 Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire which measures physical tolerance to nicotine.


 Smoking decisional balance scale (Velicer et al. 1985), which measures the perceived

pros and cons of smoking.


 Smoking processes of change scale (DiClemente and Prochaska 1985), which measures

the individual’s stage of change. According to this scale, subjects were defined as

precontemplators (n = 166), contemplators (n = 794) and those in the preparation

stage (n = 506).


 Demographic data, including age, gender, education and smoking history.

Results

The results were first analysed to examine baseline difference between the three subject

groups. The results showed that those in the preparation stage smoked less, were less

addicted, had higher self-efficacy, rated the pros of smoking as less and the costs of

smoking as more, had made more prior quitting attempts than the other two groups. The

results were then analysed to examine the relationship between stage of change and

smoking cessation. At both one and six months, the subjects in the preparation stage had

made more quit attempts and were more likely to not be smoking.

Conclusion

The results provide support for the stages of change model of smoking cessation and

suggest that it is a useful tool for predicting successful outcome of any smoking cessation

intervention.

INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE CESSATION

Interventions to promote cessation can be described as either (1) clinical interventions,

which are aimed at the individual; (2) self-help movements; or (3) public health inter-

ventions, which are aimed at populations.

Clinical interventions: promoting individual change

Clinical interventions often take the form of group or individual treatment programmes

based in hospitals or universities requiring regular attendance over a 6- or 12-week

period. These interventions use a combination of approaches that reflect the different

disease and social learning theory models of addiction and are provided for those

individuals who seek help.

Disease perspectives on cessation Within the most recent disease models of

addiction, nicotine and alcohol are seen as addictive and the individual who is addicted

is seen as having acquired tolerance and dependency to the substance. Accordingly,

116 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY