ABSTRACT
Background: smoking is the main single avoidable cause of death in our country. Little research in the treatment of such disorder has been made. Aim: to report the results of a prospective follow up for one year of outpatients from our Smoker's Clinic at the Department of Psychiatry of the Catholic University. Patients and methods: One hundred twenty seven patients (84 male, aged 21 to 70 years old), with DSM-IV criteria for nicotine dependence, were included in a total of 18 groups. Each group received an intensive treatment program of 10 sessions with cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention techniques and nicotine replacement. Patients with active psychiatric diseases were not included in the program. Results: Eighty seven percent of subjects were abstinent at the first month and 50 percent were still abstinent after twelve months of follow up. We did not find differences in gender, age, previous psychiatric disease, number of cigarettes and breath carbon monoxide level between abstinent and non abstinent patients after 12 months of follow up. Conclusion: This intensive nicotine dependence treatment in seriously dependent patients, proved to be successful, regardless of the previous psychiatric history