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. Method: 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. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 70: 551-554, 2009)