Chapter 24 Cognitive-behavioral therapy for tobacco use disorder in smokers with depression: A critical review

Tobacco use is one of the most prevalent health risk behaviors worldwide. In community and clinical samples, depression and smoking frequently cooccur. Compared to nondepressed smokers, smokers with depression pose a challenge for health-care providers, exhibiting more severe nicotine addiction levels, increased withdrawal symptoms during cessation attempts, and decreased likelihood of abstinence. To date, there exist several evidence-based psychological, pharmacological, and combined treatment options for smoking cessation. Of the psychosocial therapies, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is among the most widely studied for smokers with depression. This chapter critically appraises the available evidence on the effectiveness of CBT for smokers with depression, describing typical assessment practices and summarizing common procedures and techniques.