Hypnosis for Smoking Relapse Prevention

We will enroll 520 current smokers in the study. All subjects will participate in an initial smoking cessation intervention involving brief counseling and nicotine replacement therapy. Participants who are able to achieve at least 3 consecutive days of abstinence will be randomized to one of two relapse prevention interventions. The participants in Study Arm 1 will receive a hypnosis intervention designed to facilitate relapse prevention. Participants in Study Arm 2 will participate in empirically-supported behavior relapse prevention counseling, utilizing the National Cancer Institute's Forever Free materials. Both interventions will be conducted in two 60-minute individual sessions scheduled one week apart in addition to counseling phone calls on their quit date and after relapse prevention treatment.

Outcomes for the two study arms will be compared by assessing biochemically-validated point-prevalence smoking status at 9 weeks(end of treatment), 26 weeks and 52 weeks. Hypnosis for relapse prevention is designed to sustain the ex-smokers commitment to remain abstinent, to provide a review of behavioral skills to resist the temptations to smoke, and to encourage attempts to quit again if relapse occurs.

Inclusion criteria

• currently smoking at least 5/cigarettes per day during the past week
• willingness to participate and give informed consent
• aged 18 and above

Exclusion criteria

• contraindications to nicotine replacement
• pregnancy, lactation
• unstable psychiatric disorders
• current (last 3 months)substance use disorder
• terminal illness
• current use of smoking cessation medication