The role of postcessation factors in tobacco abstinence: stressful events and coping responses

Postcessation factors of stressful events and coping responses used when tempted to smoke, were examined to determine their contribution to relapse among ex-smokers. Subjects from smoking cessation clinics (N = 150) were contacted at three months after quitting. Questionnaires that measured: (a) current smoking behavior, (b) stressful events that occurred since quitting, and (c) coping responses used when tempted to smoke, were administered. Results indicated that abstinent subjects reported fewer work-related stressful events than both partially or totally relapsed subjects. Abstinent subjects used more problem-focused coping responses and fewer emotion-focused coping responses than partially and totally relapsed subjects. It was concluded that work-related stressful events, as well as the use of problem-focused coping responses when tempted to smoke, play important roles in determining smoking behavior during the immediate postcessation period.