Motivational interviewing for smoking cessation in patients with cardiac diseases

Background Motivational therapy for smoking cessation given to patients with cardiac disease has a reinforcing role that decreases smoking related precedent heath, social and financial burdens. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic effect of motivational interviewing sessions on the smoking course and quitting success rates in cardiac patients compared with patients who did not receive the sessions. Patients and methods Our study was carried out on 120 smokers with cardiac diseases at the rehabilitation clinic; patients were divided into an experimental group of 60 patients who received motivational interviewing sessions while monitoring their smoking severity in the pre, post and follow-up sessions and another 60 matched controls who received a single advice on cessation treatment; both groups were assessed in the pre, post and follow-up session periods. A sociodemographic sheet, the Decisional Balance Scale, the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, the Readiness to Change Questionnaire, the Stress Test Questionnaire, and the Stress Management technique Questionnaire were used. Results Heart attack episodes were decreased in the experimental group by 50% after intervention with higher 'high motivation' to quit (98.33 and 91.66% in post and follow-up, respectively) compared with the preintervention period (1.67%). In the pre and follow-up periods, very low nicotine dependence was reported in 86.67 and 91.67% of the experimental group, respectively, compared with 8.33% in preintervention period. Also, 91.67% of the experimental group stopped smoking successfully in the follow-up period compared with 45% of the control group. Conclusion Using motivational techniques can encourage patients to quit smoking with less stress and can increase self-efficacy of patients.