Evaluation of the mood and physical symptoms scale (MPSS) to assess cigarette withdrawal.
BACKGROUND
The mood and physical symptoms scale (MPSS) was developed in the early 1980s to assess cigarette withdrawal symptoms, and variants of it have been used for 20 years. To date, no paper has been published on the properties of the scale.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate psychometric properties of MPSS and the interrelationship between the key tobacco withdrawal symptoms.


METHODS
The core elements of the MPSS involve 5-point ratings of depressed mood, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating and hunger and 6-point ratings of strength of urges to smoke and time spent with these urges. The data set chosen for analysis was well suited to the task in that it involved a relatively large sample, abstinence was defined as "not a puff" for 24 h biochemically verified, participants were not using any medication that would have reduced withdrawal discomfort (e.show $132#g. nicotine patch), the abstinence rate was very high resulting in minimal bias due to attrition, and ratings were provided on three occasions prior to abstinence. The study involved 111 smokers setting a target quit date of whom 106 attempted abstinence and 96 achieved it.


RESULTS
The MPSS items were stable prior to abstinence and sensitive to abstinence. Post-abstinence increases in mood and physical symptoms demonstrated a high level of internal coherence. Ratings of urges to smoke correlated highly with changes in mood and other symptoms. Ratings of hunger correlated less well with the scale as a whole and may involve some distinct processes.


CONCLUSIONS
The MPSS meets the key requirements of a cigarette withdrawal scale. Although urge to smoke/craving was not included in the list of DSM-IV withdrawal symptoms, it should be regarded as forming part of the withdrawal syndrome.
West
Robert
R
Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK. robert.west@ucl.ac.uk
Hajek
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology
D009538:Nicotine