Introduction. People experiencing common mental health difficulties smoke more than thegeneral population, which contributes to poorer physical health outcomes in this population.However, recent research suggests that for smokers experiencing anxiety and depression, givingup can in fact ameliorate symptoms in effect sizes equivalent to those of anti-depressantmedication. Since this research is little known amongst the general public, the present studyexplored the impact of sharing such evidence with smokers on their motivation to quit.Method. 631 people who identified as current smokers took part in an online randomisedexperiment. Experimental materials were created which mimicked current tobacco warninglabels. These inverted the nature of such warnings by focusing on the mental healthimprovements that could be achieved by quitting. There were 3 between-subject experimentalconditions involving participants viewing only 1) messages focusing on physical health benefits ofquitting 2) neutral messages or 3) messages focusing on mental health benefits of quitting.Smokers with and without common mental health problems were recruited to explore the impactof current mental health status on the effect of the messages on motivation to stop smoking (theprimary outcome variable).Results. There was no main effect of mental health message on motivation to quit smoking.Viewing messages detailing the mental health benefits of stopping did not encourage smokers toquit. This held true for smokers whether or not they were currently experiencing symptoms ofanxiety and/or depression.Conclusion. The scores on the motivation to quit smoking measure showed that on average theparticipants were ambivalent about quitting smoking, both pre and post experimental exposure.This was consistent with data collected regarding the reasons people smoked, with stressalleviation and relaxation being prominent in the current sample. While people may understandsmoking’s harmful effects, they also believe it to assist them in these ways. The brief presentationof evidence regarding the potential mental health benefits of quitting did not show efficacy in thisexperiment toward changing people’s motivation to quit smoking, possibly because of theseunderlying beliefs about the benefits of smoking. Implications. The materials used in this experiment were based on tobacco warnings in current use which contain photographic evidence of the damaging physical health consequences of9smoking (e.g. diseased lungs). However it may be that the present study’s experimental materials did not generate enough of an affective response to motivate behaviour change by using visual materials in the same way. The emotional valence of the positively framed messages was not comparably powerful to that generated by negative messages. Different materials could therefore be created to convey the evidence regarding the mental health benefits of quitting, beyond using only visual/photographic materials. They may also form a useful component of smoking cessation programmes where motivation to quit is necessarily higher than in the present sample and individuals are taking action toward stopping
- smoking cessation
- anhedonia
- structured clinical management
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: Main Research Portfolio: 1) The moderating role of anhedonia on the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions; a meta-analysis; 2) An audit of Structured Clinical Management implementation at an Assessment and Recovery service; 3) What is the effect of presenting evidence that quitting smoking is associated with mental health benefits on motivation to stop smoking?.
Hanafi, A. (Author). 22 Sept 2023
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)