Motivational Interviewing as a Smoking Cessation Method

What are the Clinical Interventions for Patients Unwilling to Quit Cigarette Smoking?

Upon arriving at the clinics, all health practitioners advise patients to quit using tobacco and assess their level of willingness to give up smoking. For patients who are identified as unwilling to cooperate at the time, specialized interventions are designed to motivate a person to quit smoking. Motivational Interviewing intervention is one of the primary cessation methods that is used among patients that reluctant to abstain from tobacco use.

There are numerous factors, both material and mental, that obstruct people from discontinuing smoking, and clinicians must be able to identify them correctly. A short motivational interference based on principles of Motivational Interviewing (MI), which is centered directly on the patient counseling, may be of significant help for such patients (US Department, 2008). The user’s mental reasons for smoking are determined, and after the discovery of the ambivalence, selected strengths and weaknesses are used to talk about the problem and gradually eliminate it. Such intervention has shown successful, long-lasting results among patients who were unwilling to stop tobacco usage.

The Best Strategies to Help Your Clients Quit Smoking

Nowadays, various interventions help people quit smoking; they include medical and psychological cessations. Numerous studies discovered that best tobacco interventions require a coordinated approach by multiple specialists (US Department, 2008). Counseling is considered one of the most effective strategies to quit smoking as it provides support that keeps the subject on track and in control of their emotions. Psychological aid combined with proper medication that reduces tobacco use is considered to show the best possible outcomes for permanent refusal from nicotine intake (US Department, 2008). Such practice of smoking cessation can show a long-lasting effect and has a high probability that a patient will not return to using tobacco on a daily basis.

To support and ensure that an intervention involving both medical and behavioral intervention is the most efficient of all, a few additional reports were analyzed. Indeed “a combination of pharmacotherapy and behavioral support is likely to be most effective” (Linden, 2019). Therefore, it is confirmed that a combination of specialized interventions must be used to receive the most sufficient and durable effect.

Specific Smoking Cessation Recommendations for Especial Populations such as Teenagers or the Elderly

The problem of teenage tobacco use has been a significant issue for decades. According to the 2018 statistics, nearly 4.9 million teenagers are active tobacco users (Office of Adolescent Health, 2019). Clinicians must regularly inform adolescents on the danger and consequences of smoking, as well as provide information on effective prevention methods to both young patients and their parents. Counselling remains the most potent cessation method among this age group as it is two times more possible to abstain from tobacco use long term, using this strategy rather than regular treatment (US Department, 2008). Moreover, involving parents in such procedures or directly informing them on additional methods to prevent smoking can increase the effectiveness of interventions.

Smokers age 65 and above must be greatly interested in quitting tobacco use due to health concerns. Most of the medication aimed at preventing smoking could be restricted for people of age due to specific health conditions. Older smokers who are able to abstain from tobacco decrease the chance of death from smoking-related diseases such as heart and lung illnesses. Therefore, abstinence and the use of proactive telephone counseling are especially promising in treating such addiction (US Department, 2008). Moreover, clinicians must be extremely cautious when prescribing medication for tobacco dependence, as it may only worsen the health conditions of older people. Overall reduction of tobacco use can significantly improve the health conditions of people that are of age 65 and above.

References

Linden, B. (2019). Stop smoking interventions and services: 2018 NICE guideline. British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, 14(3), 139–141. Web.

Office of Adolescent Health. (2019). Adolescents and Tobacco: Trends. HHS.Gov. Web.

US Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. PEDIATRICS, 122(2), 471–471. Web.