Cognitive behavioural intervention for reducing smokeless tobacco dependence among adolescents

Pages: 1112-1117
Dinesh Singh (D.R.D.O. Scientist-D, Selection Center Central, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh)
Bhupinder Singh (Department of Psychology, Barkatullah University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh)

Tobacco dependence is one of the most wide spread addictions among the school students and also a significant public health issue faced by the world today. According to WHO estimate, there are nearly twenty-five corers tobacco users in India out of which, approximately 5500 adolescents start using tobacco in either Smoking or Smokeless (chewed) forms every day. Cognitive behavioural approaches used by practitioners were primarily focused on maintenance of treatment gains and management of relapse, rather than developing psychological strengths and skills. This research aims to develop a collaborative model of psychoeducation and cognitive and behavioural intervention, which could aid in the treatment plan by increasing knowledge of smokeless tobacco use and its harmful effects and also skills of effective craving management. A pre and post control group intervention was conducted among 80 adolescents smokeless tobacco users, aged 10-19 years in Bhopal, India. A control trial of cognitive behavioural intervention for reducing smokeless tobacco dependence in addition to psychoeducation was imparted to interventional subjects in four interactive sessions held in two months. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence-Smokeless Tobacco (FTND-ST) was used to assess smokeless tobacco dependence. The impact of the programme was measured by comparing the experimental group from control group before the first intervention (pre-intervention), the second intervention (post-intervention) and after follow-up. Over time, a significant reduction in smokeless tobacco dependence was observed in experimental group in comparison to control group. Mean (±standard deviation) pre-intervention smokeless tobacco dependence scores were decreased from 4.55 ± 1.51 to 2.63 ± 1.55, post-intervention. Similar results were obtained in follow-up, i.e., 3.52 ± 1.48 (smokeless tobacco dependence). The differences in mean scores of interventional and control groups of smokeless tobacco dependence were significant (p < 0.000, df = 71), suggesting that the intervention had a major positive impact. Cognitive behavioural intervention programmeis effective in reducing smokeless tobacco dependence and helpful in increasing knowledge of smokeless tobacco use and its harmful effects and effective craving management among adolescents.