Family Consultation for Health-Compromised Smokers

NCT ID: NCT00400751

Last Updated: 2006-11-17

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 1999-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2003-05-31

Brief Summary

Although spousal support predicts the success of a smoker's cessation efforts, "social support" interventions based on teaching partners better support skills have had consistently disappointing results. We examined the potential utility of a family-consultation (FAMCON) intervention based on family-systems theory in a treatment-development project involving 20 couples in which one partner (the primary smoker) continued to smoke despite having or being at significant risk for heart or lung disease. Results were promising. The 50% rate of stable abstinence achieved by primary smokers over at least 6 months exceeds benchmark success rates reported in the literature for other, comparably intensive interventions, suggesting that a couple-focused intervention different in concept and format from social-support interventions tested in the past may hold promise for health-compromised smokers. The FAMCON approach appeared particularly well-suited to female smokers and smokers whose partner also smoked - two sub-groups at high risk for relapse.

Detailed Description

Although spousal support predicts the success of a smoker's cessation efforts, "social support" interventions based on teaching partners better support skills have had consistently disappointing results. In this Stage I (treatment development) study we examined the potential utility of a family-consultation (FAMCON) intervention based on family-systems theory.

Specifically, in this Phase-I study we developed, standardized, and pilot tested a systemic, couple-focused treatment for change-resistant smokers based on the assumption that a smoker's marital and family relationships play a key role in whether he or she continues to smoke.

The intervention provides up to 10 sessions of "family consultation" over 2-5 months to single- or dual-smoker couples in which at least one partner continued to smoke despite having lung disease, heart disease, or multiple cardiac risk factors.

The treatment focuses on the immediate social context of smoking, aiming both to interrupt well-intended "solutions" that ironically feed back to keep smoking going, and to help clients realign important relationships in ways not organized around tobacco use.

Participants were 20 couples in which one partner (the primary smoker) continued to smoke despite having or being at significant risk for heart or lung disease.

Results are promising. The 50% rate of stable abstinence achieved by primary smokers over 6 months (with 63% abstinence rates for secondary smokers) exceeds benchmark success rates reported in the literature for other, comparably intensive interventions, suggesting that a couple-focused intervention different in concept and format from social-support interventions tested in the past may hold promise for health-compromised smokers. The12-month cessation rates were 40% for primary smokers and 63% for secondary smokers.

The FAMCON approach appeared particularly well-suited to female smokers and smokers whose partner also smoked - two sub-groups at high risk for relapse.

References:

Rohrbaugh, M.J., Shoham, V., Trost, S., Muramoto, M., Cate, R., & Leischow, S. (2001). Couple-dynamics of change resistant smoking: Toward a family-consultation model. Family Process, 40, 15 - 31.

Shoham, V., Rohrbaugh, M.J., Trost, S.E., & Muramoto, M. (in press). A family consultation (FAMCON) intervention for health-compromised smokers. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

Conditions

Nicotine Dependence

Keywords

Health-compromised smokers, family cessation intervention

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Interventions

FAMCON (Family Consultation)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• patient has a diagnosed heart/lung problem or 2+ CAD risk factors
• patient smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day on average for the previous 6 months
• couple married or living in a committed relationship for at least 2 years
• both partners at least 30 years old
• both partners able to read and speak English
• both partners willing to participate in FAMCON
• at least one smoker in the couple hopes to quit within the next two years

Exclusion Criteria

• terminal illness with life expectancy less that 5 years
• pregnancy
• history of mania or psychosis

• Minimum Eligible Age: 30 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Arizona

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Principal Investigators

Varda Shoham, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Arizona

Michael J. Rohrbaugh, Ph.D.

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of Arizona

Locations

University of Arizona, Family Research Laboratory, Dept of Psychology

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

R21DA013121

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

View Link