Effectiveness of adding relapse prevention materials to telephone counseling

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of adding the Forever Free relapse prevention materials to telephone counseling provided by the Arkansas quitline. Results suggest that the addition of Forever Free materials to telephone counseling does not improve quit rates for those participants who receive at least one session of counseling and nicotine patches; however, for those participants unwilling or unable to receive nicotine patches, the addition of the Forever Free relapse prevention materials doubled the abstinence rate and increased the odds of abstinence by nearly 70% 6 months after treatment (20.9% versus 10.6%; OR = 1.69; CI = 1.02-2.78; p = .04). Given the recent proliferation of quitline services and the variety of services provided, these results can address concerns about enhancing treatment outcomes for certain groups.