Background: The aim of this study has been to investigate the effect of depressive symptoms on the results of a smoking cessation programme.
Method: 186 received a multicomponent behavioural programme. At 12-month follow-up 160 subjects were contacted. Depression symptoms pretreatment and at the 12-month follow-up were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck et al., 1979. Cognitive Therapy of Depression. Guilford Press, New York.).
Results: Smokers at 12-month follow-up had a mean score of 7.1 (S.D. = 5.8) and abstainers had a score of 5.2 (S.D. = 5.4). Depressive symptoms at 12 month follow-up were associated with smoking cessation at 12 month follow-up (t(1,158) = 1.98, P < 0.05), but depressive symptoms at baseline and smoking cessation end of treatment were not.
Limitations: The most important limitation in study has been the size of the sample (particularly in abstainers).
Clinical relevance: Depressive symptoms have an influence on efficacy at the 12-month follow-up, but not at the end of treatment. It does not seem necessary, for the moment, to introduce specific interventions targeted at the modification of negative mood.