Structured Approach Therapy for Combat-Related PTSD in Returning U.S. Veterans: Complementary Mediation by Changes in Emotion Functioning.

To address the impact of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on U.S. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans, the investigators developed a 12-session manualized PTSD treatment for couples called structured approach therapy (SAT). A randomized controlled trial had shown that 29 OEF/OIF veterans with combat-related PTSD who had participated in SAT showed significantly greater reductions in PTSD compared to 28 veterans receiving a 12-session PTSD family education intervention (Sautter, Glynn, Cretu, Senturk, & Vaught, 2015). We conducted supplemental follow-up and mediation analyses, which tested the hypothesis that changes in emotion functioning play a significant role in the decreases in PTSD symptoms primarily observed in veterans who had received SAT. Veterans assigned to the SAT condition showed significantly greater decreases than those assigned to PTSD family education in emotion regulation problems (p < .001, Cohen's f(2) = .18) and fear of intense emotions (p < .001, Cohen's f(2) = .152). Decreases in both emotion regulation problems (mediated effect:ab̂= .36), and fear of intense emotions (mediated effect:ab̂ = .24) were found to be complementary mediators of reductions in PTSD symptoms greater with SAT. These findings suggest that SAT may aid veterans in improving their ability to regulate trauma-related emotions.

Smoking cessation counseling by Russian oncologists: opportunities for intervention in the Russian Federation.

The goal of this study was to examine the degree to which Russian oncologists are trained in providing smoking cessation counseling to patients and to assess physician smoking cessation practices and attitudes about providing smoking cessation treatment. Sixty-three oncologists at a large cancer center in Moscow completed a brief survey. The results showed that Russian oncologists: (a) lack training in smoking interventions; (b) rarely offer cessation treatment; (c) exhibit beliefs about smoking that may serve as barriers to providing cessation counseling; and (d) desire training in cessation counseling. These results can be used to guide the development of smoking cessation training programs for Russian physicians.

Prevalence and correlates of tobacco use among Russian cancer patients: implications for the development of smoking cessation interventions at a cancer center in Russia.

This study examined the rate of smoking among 399 cancer patients in Russia and assessed correlates of tobacco use and readiness to quit smoking. The results indicated that (a) 41.6% of patients were smokers; and (b) smokers were likely to be male, have lung or colorectal cancer, exhibit low levels of knowledge concerning the negative effects of smoking, report a low level of advantages to quitting smoking and a high level of disadvantages to quitting smoking, show low perceived risk for the adverse effects of smoking, and exhibit high fatalistic beliefs. Though certain findings converge well with data collected from U.S. samples of cancer patients, these results can guide the development of smoking interventions that address the specific needs of Russian cancer patients. In sum, this study fills a critical gap in knowledge concerning the epidemic of tobacco use in Russia and broadens research regarding tobacco use by cancer patients from the United States to the Russian Federation.

A randomized pilot study of cognitive-behavioral therapy versus basic health education for smoking cessation among cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Previously, we have linked theoretically based cognitive and emotional variables to the ability of cancer patients to quit smoking. PURPOSE: In this study, we evaluated the impact of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which addressed these theoretically derived cognitive and emotional variables linked to tobacco use in this population, for promoting smoking cessation in a sample of cancer patients and assessed longitudinal predictors of smoking cessation. METHODS: Cancer patients (N=109) were randomized to either the theoretically based CBT intervention or to a general health education (GHE) condition, and all patients received nicotine replacement therapy. RESULTS: Contrary to our expectation, no significant difference in 30-day point-prevalence abstinence between the CBT and GHE conditions was detected at either a 1-month (44.9 vs. 47.3%, respectively) or 3-month (43.2% vs. 39.2%, respectively) follow-up evaluation. Higher quit motivation and lower cons of quitting were related to smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for the implementation of smoking cessation behavioral treatments in the oncologic context are discussed, as are directions for future research in this area.