The relationship between thought suppression and smoking cessation

Intrusive thoughts (e.g., anxiety, depression, substance use) are among the most salient symptoms of clinical problems. Therefore, methods of thought suppression have received considerable attention. However, some studies hav e found that attempts to suppress thoughts precipitate an increase in thoug hts. In the case of substance abuse, such thoughts could serve as cues for further use. This study examined the association between thought suppressio n and quitting smoking in a sample of current and ex-smokers. Using the Whi te Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI), scores were obtained for participants ' level of thought suppression. Based on the idea that a greater tendency t o suppress thoughts would make quitting smoking more difficult, it was hypo thesized that unsuccessful quitters would have higher WBSI scores than smok ers who had successfully quit. It was found that mean scores on the WBSI we re significantly higher (P < .05) for smokers than ex-smokers. These findin gs suggest that a tendency toward thought suppression may increase the like lihood that attempts to quit smoking will be unsuccessful. (C) 2001 Elsevie r Science Ltd. All rights reserved.