The purpose of this research is to evaluate the influence of individual variables on relapse to smoking among lung cancer patients with clinical stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer who smoked within 3 months prior to their referral for surgical evaluation and treatment. These variables include smoking history, healthy lifestyle, and personality variables such as impulsiveness, optimism, leading a "fast" or reckless lifestyle, or being neurotic. They also include patients' social support, and their urges to smoke and attitudes toward smoking. The research will examine the relationship among these variables to determine the extent to which patients relapse because of the perceived benefits of smoking compared with the discomfort of quitting. Dr. Ellen R. Gritz has been awarded a subcontract from Washington University to recruit participants in this currently ongoing study, Predictors of Relapse in Lung Cancer (Dr. Edwin B. Fisher, Principal Investigator).
The specific aims are
1. To evaluate the association of maintenance of cessation up to 3 years following surgery with variables of depression, anxiety, social support, nicotine dependence, and urges to smoke.
2. To test the relationship among social support, depression, and anxiety in relapse to smoking.
3. To test a measurement model of key constructs linking the variables above.
4. To evaluate the extent to which Aversive and Appetitive Urges, depression, anxiety, general social support, Nondirective and Directive support, and dependence are associated with two broad dimensions of motivation, Appetitive and Aversive Motives |