Transtheoretic model in smoking cessation

Abstract

Smoking is one of the major public health problems and a major cause of preventable diseases. Today there are many ways to combat with tobacco use which is the chief risk factor for avoidable diseases. Pharmacotherapy and other supportive therapies based on motivation and cognitive-behavioral approaches are used in treatment. Among those, concentrating on behavioral changes are gaining more popularity as number of people who stop smoking using behavioral therapies are increasing, so is the interest on psychological models. Transtheoretic model is known as behavioral changes model which is widely used in smoking cessation and developed for the first time by Prochaska and DiClemente. It uses appropriate intervention according to the stage of the individual. According to Transtheoretic model, five stages are to be passed for behavior change. Motivational techniques are important for succesfull passing of a stage and should be structured for preparation to the next stage. Each stage should be evaluated for the transition to the next stage. Transtheoretic model is a significant tool for smoking cessation with its ability to use different models of behavior changes. This flexibilitaly of Transtheoretic model makes the model treatment of choice in different addictions. In this review we focus on the features of Transtheoretic model.