Perspectives on relapse prevention: An exploratory study

Abstract

This article explores the hypothesis that factors associated with relapse early in a quit attempt may lose their predictive power over time. Participants were 195 recent ex-smokers calling a telephone Quitline. Quitters were interviewed, then re-interviewed three weeks later to determine outcome (relapse or maintenance of attempt). There was strong evidence for a discontinuity in prediction of outcome between those who quit for less than one week, or who reported at least daily strong urges to smoke and those who quit for more than a week who reported less than daily strong urges to smoke. Several variables, including self-efficacy and scales of positive social and negative affect temptations, reversed predictive value. This study provides evidence of a perspective or stage within the Action stage of the TTM. More work is required to confirm both the findings and the exact nature of the discontinuity point.

Keywords:

• Relapse prevention
• smoking cessation
• transtheoretical model

Acknowledgment

This research was funded by an NHMRC project grant to Ron Borland and others, supplemented by extra support from The Cancer Council Victoria.