title: Brief psycho-education affects circadian variability in nicotine craving during cessation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nicotine cravings are a key target of smoking cessation interventions. Cravings demonstrate circadian variation during abstinence, often peaking during the morning and evening hours. Although some research has also shown diurnal variation in the efficacy of nicotine replacement medications, little research has examined how brief psychosocial interventions affect temporal patterns of craving during abstinence. The present study examined the impact of two brief psycho-education interventions on circadian variations in cravings during a 24-h period.
  
  
  METHODS
  176 adult smokers interested in quitting participated in two lab sessions. During the first session, participants received (a) mindfulness psycho-education that encouraged acceptance of cravings as a normal, tolerable part of quitting that people should not expect to perfectly control, (b) standard cessation psycho-education, or (c) no psycho-education. Half the sample initiated a cessation attempt the following day. Dependent variables were assessed using ecological momentary assessment (24-h of monitoring, immediately after first lab session) and questionnaires four days later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Partially consistent with hypotheses, both forms of psycho-education were associated with differential diurnal variation in cravings during cessation. Relative to those receiving no psycho-education, standard smoking cessation psycho-education decreased morning cravings. Psycho-education encouraging acceptance of cravings was associated with lower craving in both the morning and evening, albeit only among successfully abstinent smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results demonstrate that brief non-pharmacological interventions can affect circadian craving patterns during smoking cessation. Further investigation of mechanisms of change and of the impact of psycho-education on cessation outcomes is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. enosen@umc.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nosen
authors.forename: Sheila R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Woody
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064866:Mindfulness; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D003367:Cotinine
keywords: Circadian; Cravings; Mindfulness; Psycho-education; Smoking cessation