title: The role of postcessation factors in tobacco abstinence: stressful events and coping responses.
abstract: Postcessation factors of stressful events and coping responses used when tempted to smoke, were examined to determine their contribution to relapse among ex-smokers. Subjects from smoking cessation clinics (N = 150) were contacted at three months after quitting. Questionnaires that measured: (a) current smoking behavior, (b) stressful events that occurred since quitting, and (c) coping responses used when tempted to smoke, were administered. Results indicated that abstinent subjects reported fewer work-related stressful events than both partially or totally relapsed subjects. Abstinent subjects used more problem-focused coping responses and fewer emotion-focused coping responses than partially and totally relapsed subjects. It was concluded that work-related stressful events, as well as the use of problem-focused coping responses when tempted to smoke, play important roles in determining smoking behavior during the immediate postcessation period.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, School of Nursing.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wewers
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*