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Psychological Characteristics and Smoking Cessation Outcomes in a Sample of Greek Smokers

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The aim of the current study was to identify the role of psychological characteristics of treatment-seeking smokers and examine their role in cessation outcomes. Participants were 750 Greek Caucasian smokers who were self-referred to a Smoking Cessation Clinic. Data on smoking and psychological assessment was obtained from the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, the Self-Rating Zung Depression Scale, the Health Locus of Control Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Smoking status was made by self-report and abstinence was defined as “not a single puff of smoke during the last week”. The self-reported abstinence rate at 6 months was 33.7 % versus 9.4 % at 12-month follow-up. Chi-square tests revealed associations between psychological baseline characteristics and smoking status at follow-up. In particular, abstinence at one-year follow-up was associated with gender, increasing the odds of abstinence for female smokers by about 5 times, abstinence was associated with past quit attempts, self-confidence in quitting, and health reasons for quitting. A stepwise modeling procedure indicated past quit attempts, current life satisfaction, and I-internal health locus of control as the main independent predictors of smoking cessation. Findings provide useful information on the unique cultural norms and social influences of Greek smokers and suggest the urgent need in primary care settings to address psychological characteristics along with cultural differences in order to change the smoking culture and achieve successful smoking cessation outcomes. Future research should target psychological and cultural characteristics as key treatment components in smoking cessation.

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  1. Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G. Papanikolaou General Hospital, 57010 Exohi, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Aimiliza Stefanidou, Athanasia Pataka & Paraskevi Argyropoulou-Pataka

  2. Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, University hospital of Alexandroupolis, 68100, Alexandroupolis, Greece

    Demosthenes Bouros & Miltiadis Livaditis

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  1. Aimiliza Stefanidou
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  2. Demosthenes Bouros
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Stefanidou, A., Bouros, D., Livaditis, M. et al. Psychological Characteristics and Smoking Cessation Outcomes in a Sample of Greek Smokers. Curr Psychol 34, 66–81 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-014-9241-6

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