Psychological outcomes of smoking cessation supported by telemedicine in real-world clinical practice: A prospective longitudinal cohort study
Tobacco Induced Diseases, cilt.24, ss.66, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 24
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.18332/tid/219641
- Dergi Adı: Tobacco Induced Diseases
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.66
- Anahtar Kelimeler: depression, anxiety, cytisine, smoking cessation, telemedicine
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
INTRODUCTION Concerns about possible adverse psychological consequences of smoking cessation – particularly related to depression and anxiety – may act as barriers to quit attempts, reduce adherence to treatment, and negatively affect long-term abstinence. Our objective is to assess changes in depression and anxiety levels over a six-month follow-up period among adults attending a smoking cessation clinic under routine clinical practice conditions and to describe the role of scheduled telemedicine-based follow-up in supporting cessation outcomes. METHODS This prospective observational cohort study enrolled 500 adult smokers who presented to a specialized smoking cessation outpatient clinic. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) at baseline and at six months. In addition to face-to-face clinic visits, patients receiving medical treatment were followed through structured telemedicine contacts conducted at two-week intervals throughout the follow-up period. RESULTS At six months, 180 participants (36.0%) achieved smoking cessation, while 320 (64.0%) continued smoking. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between groups. In the overall cohort, median BDI scores declined from 12 (interquartile range, IQR: 8–17) at baseline to 8 (IQR: 5–12) at follow-up, and median BAI scores decreased from 11 (IQR: 7–16) to 7 (IQR: 4–11). Improvements in both depression and anxiety scores were observed in quitters and non-quitters, with greater reductions among individuals who successfully quit smoking. Cytisine was the most frequently prescribed pharmacological treatment (70.6%), and behavioral counseling was provided to all participants. Treatment-related adverse effects were reported by 21.8% of participants, and no serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS Under real-world clinical conditions, smoking cessation was accompanied by meaningful reductions in depression and anxiety over a six-month period. Regular telemedicine-based follow-up conducted at two-week intervals appeared to facilitate treatment continuity and may enhance cessation outcomes.