A game for smokers: a preliminary naturalistic trial in a psychiatric hospital.

OBJECTIVE: "Pick-Klop" is a game based on cognitive behavioral therapy. It aims to change smokers' attitudes towards tobacco addiction. This study tests the feasibility and the impact of one brief session of the intervention in a naturalistic setting within a psychiatric hospital. METHOD: Fifty-one smokers were recruited during their stay in a psychiatric hospital with a prohibitive smoking policy. They were assessed pre- and post-treatment with visual analogue scales designed to evaluate their intention to stop smoking. RESULTS: All patients completed the intervention. The outcome shows that the intention to stop smoking becomes significantly stronger after the intervention. CONCLUSION: This pilot study supports the feasibility and the effectiveness of the "Pick-Klop" game in a psychiatric hospital setting. The game seems to improve the intention to quit smoking. The data, however, should be confirmed by a controlled trial. Moreover, follow-up studies are needed to examine the potential impact of the game on smoking cessation attempts. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The game seems to be a useful and simple tool for education about smoking in a psychiatric hospital setting.

Impact of a board-game approach on current smokers: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of our study was to assess the impact of a board game on smoking status and smoking-related variables in current smokers. To accomplish this objective, we conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing the game group with a psychoeducation group and a waiting-list control group. METHODS: The following measures were performed at participant inclusion, as well as after a 2-week and a 3-month follow-up period: "Attitudes Towards Smoking Scale" (ATS-18), "Smoking Self-Efficacy Questionnaire" (SEQ-12), "Attitudes Towards Nicotine Replacement Therapy" scale (ANRT-12), number of cigarettes smoked per day, stages of change, quit attempts, and smoking status. Furthermore, participants were assessed for concurrent psychiatric disorders and for the severity of nicotine dependence with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). RESULTS: A time × group effect was observed for subscales of the ANRT-12, ATS-18 and SEQ-12, as well as for the number of cigarettes smoked per day. At three months follow-up, compared to the participants allocated to the waiting list group, those on Pick-Klop group were less likely to remain smoker.Outcomes at 3 months were not predicted by gender, age, FTND, stage of change, or psychiatric disorders at inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: The board game seems to be a good option for smokers. The game led to improvements in variables known to predict quitting in smokers. Furthermore, it increased smoking-cessation rates at 3-months follow-up. The game is also an interesting alternative for smokers in the precontemplation stage.