Smoking cessation and anxiety in a clinical sample

Various studies have demonstrated a significant association between anxiety disorders and nicotine dependence. Surprisingly, however, the association between such disorders and smoking has not been demonstrated for participants in smoking clinical samples, which may reflect the fact that people with anxiety problems are less inclined to attempt to quit smoking. The present study investigated whether there is a relationship between anxiety and cessation-attempt success among participants in a smoking-cessation clinical treatment. An initial sample of 214 subjects took part in the program; by the final follow-up (12 months after the end of the program), 200 subjects (53% men, 47% women) remained in contact. Anxiety was evaluated with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory of Spielberger, C.D., Gorsuch, R.L., & Lushene, R.E. (1970). STAI. Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press (Spanish version: Madrid, TEA, 1982) before the treatment and at the 12-month follow-up. Cessation-attempt success, defined as point prevalence at the 12-month follow-up, was achieved by 40 of the 200 subjects. No statistically significant differences were detected between the two outcome groups (the 40 abstinents and 160 smokers) in either pre-treatment state anxiety, pre-treatment trait anxiety, or post-treatment trait anxiety. However, post-treatment state anxiety was significantly higher ( P