Department of Psychology, Bard College, Annandale on Hudson, NY, USA.
Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
J Subst Abuse Treat. 2022 Jul;138:108749. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2022.108749. Epub 2022 Feb 19.
Craving is an important contributing factor in cigarette smoking and has been added as a diagnostic criterion for addiction in the DSM-5. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and other treatments that incorporate craving regulation strategies reduce smoking and the likelihood of relapse. Although this finding suggests that the regulation of craving is an important mechanism underlying smoking cessation, whether targeted interventions that train smokers to regulate craving can directly impact real-world smoking behaviors is unclear.
Across two pilot studies (N = 33; N = 60), we tested whether a brief, computer-delivered training session in the cognitive regulation of craving altered subsequent smoking behaviors in daily life. The study first randomly assigned participants to either a no training (control) group, or one of two Regulation of Craving Training (ROC-T) conditions. Next, all participants came into the lab and those assigned to ROC-T conditions were trained to implement a cognitive strategy to regulate their craving, by either focusing on the negative consequences of smoking, or by distracting themselves. Then, these participants underwent ROC-T during which they practiced using the strategy to regulate their craving during cue exposure. The study subsequently assessed participants' smoking via daily diaries for 3-6 days, and via self-report up to 1-month follow-up.
Across both studies, ROC-T conditions were associated with significant reductions in average cigarettes smoked per day, with effects persisting through follow-up.
These results confirm that the regulation of craving is an important mechanism of smoking cessation, and can be targeted via easily administered training procedures, such as ROC-T.
渴望是吸烟的一个重要促成因素，并且已被添加到 DSM-5 中的成瘾诊断标准中。认知行为疗法和其他包含渴望调节策略的治疗方法可减少吸烟和复发的可能性。尽管这一发现表明渴望的调节是戒烟的一个重要机制，但针对吸烟者进行渴望调节的有针对性干预是否可以直接影响现实生活中的吸烟行为尚不清楚。
在两项试点研究中（N=33；N=60），我们测试了短暂的计算机辅助渴望调节训练是否会直接影响现实生活中的吸烟行为。研究首先随机将参与者分配到无训练（对照组）或两种渴望调节训练（ROC-T）条件之一。接下来，所有参与者进入实验室，被分配到 ROC-T 条件的参与者接受了通过关注吸烟的负面后果或分散注意力来调节渴望的认知策略的训练。然后，这些参与者接受 ROC-T 训练，在此期间，他们练习在提示暴露期间使用该策略来调节渴望。随后，研究通过每日日记评估参与者在 3-6 天内的吸烟情况，以及通过自我报告评估最多 1 个月的随访情况。
在两项研究中，ROC-T 条件与平均每天吸烟量的显著减少相关，且效果持续到随访。
这些结果证实，渴望的调节是戒烟的一个重要机制，可以通过易于管理的训练程序（如 ROC-T）来靶向。
