UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Langdon, Kirsten J.
Dept./Program:
Psychology
Year:
2013
Degree:
Ph. D.
Abstract:
Past research has demonstrated that anxiety sensitivity (AS), or a fear of anxiety and related sensations, appears to be rylated to problems in quitting smoking; specially, AS has been found to be associated with an increased rate of smoking lapse and relapse within the first weeks of a quit attempt. While significant advances have been made in the area of smoking cessation, there remain substantive gaps that would benefit from additional research. The current study sought to explore specific affective processes that my mediate the relation between AS and poor smoking cessation outcomes using cutting-edge techonology (e.g. ambulatory Ecological Momentary Assessment [EMA].
Specifically, it was hypothesized that smokers characterized by higher, compared to lower AS, will demonstrate less- success in a self-guided cessation attempt, as indexed by: (a) shorter time to first smoking lapse; and (b) lower point-prevalence abstinence at quit day as well as 3, 7, and 14 post-quit. It was further hypothesized that the association between AS and lapse/relapse to smoking will be mediated by specified emotion and smoking-based processes, including: (c) greater levels of negative affect intensity during the cessation attempt; and (d) greater levels of nicotine withdrawal symptom intensity during the cessation attempt. Participants were 51 adult smokers (33.3% female; Mage = 34.59, SD = 13.76), who completed a baseline session, consisting of structured clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires.
Participants also engaged in a self-guided quit attempt, which involved daily monitoring of smoking behavior, negative affect, and nicotine withdrawal symptoms via assessment with a handheld PDA device. Contrary to hypotheses, AS was not significantly predictive of the specified cessation outcomes; thus, a formal test of mediation could not be performed. However, AS was significantly related to quit day levels of negative affect and nicotine withdrawal symptoms as well as the rate of change in negative affect and nicotine withdrawal symptoms throughout the initial 14 days of cessation. Possible explanations for the overall pattern of findings are explored, as well as potential implications, study limitations, and future directions for this line of work.
Specifically, it was hypothesized that smokers characterized by higher, compared to lower AS, will demonstrate less- success in a self-guided cessation attempt, as indexed by: (a) shorter time to first smoking lapse; and (b) lower point-prevalence abstinence at quit day as well as 3, 7, and 14 post-quit. It was further hypothesized that the association between AS and lapse/relapse to smoking will be mediated by specified emotion and smoking-based processes, including: (c) greater levels of negative affect intensity during the cessation attempt; and (d) greater levels of nicotine withdrawal symptom intensity during the cessation attempt. Participants were 51 adult smokers (33.3% female; Mage = 34.59, SD = 13.76), who completed a baseline session, consisting of structured clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires.
Participants also engaged in a self-guided quit attempt, which involved daily monitoring of smoking behavior, negative affect, and nicotine withdrawal symptoms via assessment with a handheld PDA device. Contrary to hypotheses, AS was not significantly predictive of the specified cessation outcomes; thus, a formal test of mediation could not be performed. However, AS was significantly related to quit day levels of negative affect and nicotine withdrawal symptoms as well as the rate of change in negative affect and nicotine withdrawal symptoms throughout the initial 14 days of cessation. Possible explanations for the overall pattern of findings are explored, as well as potential implications, study limitations, and future directions for this line of work.