Using SmartQuit®, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Smartphone application, to reduce smoking intake

Abstract

Objective: SmartQuit® is a smartphone application (app) for smoking cessation based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a behavioural therapy that encourages individuals to accept internal experiences, such as cravings to smoke, without acting on those experiences or urges. We used a single-subject (A-B-A) design with 10 participants to examine whether SmartQuit® use would reduce cigarette intake in a New Zealand sample.

Methods: 10 smokers tallied their own cravings experienced and cigarettes smoked then sent those tallies to the first author every day until we observed stable patterns (Phase A1). We then gave the participants individual access to the SmartQuit® app (Phase B). When they advised that they had ceased using the app, they again recorded daily cravings and cigarettes smoked for a minimum of three days (Phase A2). We also collected follow-up smoking and craving data at 1, 2 and up to 13 months after completion of Phase A2.

Results: Using SmartQuit® reduced our participants' daily cigarette intake significantly in the short-term and three individuals remained smoke-free up to 13 months later. Cravings to smoke did not differ significantly across Phases A1, B and A2, but graphical analysis showed a trend for decreasing cravings.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that SmartQuit® provides another readily accessible intervention to help people stop smoking and is suited for use with a New Zealand population.

Keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; New Zealand; SmartQuit®; Smoking; behaviour; cigarettes; cravings.

Figure 1.

Number of cigarettes consumed (closed circles) and cravings experienced (open circles) for male (a) and female (b) participants on each day (where 1 January 2015 = 1) of recording for all phases for which data are available.

Figure 1.

Number of cigarettes consumed (closed circles) and cravings experienced (open circles) for male (a) and female (b) participants on each day (where 1 January 2015 = 1) of recording for all phases for which data are available.