Effects of cigarette abstinence on negative and positive affect by depression symptom levels: A lab study.

BACKGROUND: High negative affect and low positive affect are key depression-related states that may be greater following acute tobacco abstinence. This study aimed to test associations between depression symptom levels and acute tobacco abstinence with negative affect and positive affect. METHODS: Following a baseline session, participants attended two counterbalanced laboratory sessions (non-abstinent, abstinent) and completed measures of positive and negative affect at rest (i.e., when not completing a task) and during a film clip task. RESULTS: Individuals with elevated depression symptoms had higher negative affect and lower positive affect at rest and during the film clip task compared to individuals with low depression symptoms. There was no interaction of depression symptom levels and abstinence on negative and positive affect at rest. There was an interaction of depression symptom level and abstinence on negative and positive affect during the film clip task. Individuals with elevated depression showed significant differences in positive and negative affect between the abstinent and non-abstinent session, but no significant abstinence effects were noted in individuals with low depression symptoms. LIMITATIONS: The study included a non-treatment seeking sample and experimentally induced acute cigarette abstinence. We excluded for the use of smoking cessation medications that are also used to treat depression, classified depression levels using dichotomized CES-D scores, and used self-report measures of affect. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study suggest individuals with elevated depression symptoms who smoke experience elevated negative affect and lower positive affect and cigarette abstinence may uniquely alter affective reactivity in individuals with elevated depression symptoms.

Effectiveness of transdermal nicotine patch in premenopausal female smokers is moderated by within-subject severity of negative affect and physical symptoms.

RATIONALE: Nicotine patches may be less effective in female compared with male smokers. However, it is unknown if negative affect and physical symptoms influence transdermal nicotine patch-related effects on smoking behaviors. METHODS: Eighty-one acutely tobacco-abstinent premenopausal female smokers attended three counter-balanced experimental sessions across the menstrual cycle (early follicular, late follicular, and mid-luteal) and were randomized to patch condition (nicotine [21 mg] vs. placebo [0 mg] transdermal patch). Negative affect and physical symptoms were assessed prior to patch administration. The patch was removed 5 h post-administration, and participants completed a smoking reinstatement task. Multilevel linear models tested associations of patch condition, negative affect and physical symptoms, and their interaction on smoking behavior. RESULTS: There was a significant patch condition × Negative Affect and Pain symptoms interaction on the number of cigarettes smoked (p < 0.05). When Negative Affect and Pain were lower-than-usual, females administered a nicotine patch smoked significantly fewer cigarettes than females administered a placebo patch (p < .05), but there were no significant patch differences when Negative Affect and Pain were higher-than-usual. There was also a significant patch condition × Negative Affect interaction on time delay. The effects of patch condition on time delay to smoking were greater during sessions in which Negative Affect was higher-than-usual. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that among female smokers transdermal nicotine patch effectiveness may interact with negative affect and pain. Understanding and considering female-specific factors that may impact the efficacy of one of the most commonly used cessation medications is important for improving smoking cessation in female smokers.