Pre-quit depression level and smoking expectancies for mood management predict the nature of smoking withdrawal symptoms in college women smokers.

We assessed smoking withdrawal symptoms over a six-day period of abstinence among 21 female college students who were daily cigarette smokers [M=20.3 (4.4); cigarettes per day] and were in the preparation stage of change for quitting smoking. We predicted that reported withdrawal symptoms would covary with baseline depression scores and baseline outcome expectancies for cigarette smoking as a mood management tool. Depression scores at baseline significantly predicted mood-related smoking withdrawal symptoms of Depression-Dejection and Vigor from the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Smoking outcome expectancies for relief of negative affect measured at baseline significantly predicted symptoms of Confusion-Bewilderment and Anger-Hostility. Neither baseline depression nor baseline smoking expectancies for mood management predicted smoking withdrawal symptoms measured by the Smoking Withdrawal Questionnaire (SWQ; [Shiffman, S. M., & Jarvik, M. E. (1976). Smoking withdrawal symptoms in two weeks of abstinence. Psychopharmacology, 50, 35-39]). Results imply that women smokers with baseline depressive symptomatology and expectancies for smoking to relieve negative mood endure greater abstinence-induced mood disturbance, but similar levels of other smoking withdrawal symptoms during initial abstinence. These results may inform smoking cessation efforts.