Pilot Study Investigating the Effect of a Suppression Versus Mindfulness-Based Strategy in Coping with Cigarette Cravings

The current pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a brief suppression versus mindfulness-based strategy for coping with cigarette cravings. Participants (N = 61) were randomly assigned to one of the two coping strategies to manage cravings during an experimental cue exposure to cigarettes. Results indicate that participants in both conditions reported significantly reduced amounts of smoking and increased self-efficacy in coping with smoking urges at a seven-day follow-up. However, only participants in the mindfulness condition demonstrated reductions in negative affect, depressive symptoms, and reduced levels of nicotine dependence. These findings indicate that while both conditions were associated with improvements on smoking relevant outcomes, mindfulness was unique for its beneficial impacts on reported nicotine dependence and emotional functioning over the course of the study.