Quit-attempt history: relation to current levels of emotional vulnerability among adult cigarette users.
OBJECTIVE
The present investigation examined self-defined serious quit attempts (lifetime) in relation to current indices of anxious arousal, anhedonic depression symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, and severity of problems experienced in past efforts to quit.


METHODS
Participants in the present sample included 144 adult smokers (59.7% women; mean [SD] age = 29.48 [11.62] years) who were recruited from the Burlington, VT, community.


RESULTS
After controlling for daily cigarette smoking rate, total years as a regular smoker, current alcohol-use problems, and gender, the number of past quit attempts was significantly and uniquely associated with anxious arousal symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, and severity of problems experienced in past quit attempts; however, the number of past quit attempts was not significantly associated with anhedonic depression symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that clinicians may benefit by assessing for affective factors as part of a smoking-assessment process and integrating them into interventions for smoking cessation.
Zvolensky
Michael J
MJ
Anxiety and Health Research Laboratory, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, Vermont 05405-0134, USA. michael.zvolensky@uvm.edu
Johnson
Kirsten A
KA
Leyro
Teresa M
TM
Hogan
Julianna
J
Tursi
Lauren
L
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors