Anger Management–Based Smoking Cessation Treatment

Abstract

Despite tremendous progress in tobacco control over the past 50 years, smoking continues to be the foremost preventable cause of disease and death in the United States and the majority of adults who smoke want to quit. Thus, continuing efforts, both clinical and research, must focus on new, effective methods to aid in smoking cessation. Anger management (AM) therapy for smoking cessation is one such approach. The experience of anger-related emotions (e.g., irritation, frustration, annoyance, hostility) is integrally linked to smoking behavior, nicotine withdrawal, and smoking relapse. Here, we present an innovative, AM-based smoking cessation therapy coupled with nicotine replacement therapy. The treatment experiences of three diverse clients are presented, and insights based on their pre- and posttherapy research assessments are discussed. The client outcomes suggest that AM-based smoking cessation is a promising therapy approach and is deserving of more research and study.