An attachment-based intervention for patients with cardiovascular disease and their partners: A proof-of-concept study.

Unlabelled: Couple distress is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, whereas support is associated with heart-healthy behaviors and better CVD outcomes.

Objective: To assess the clinical benefit of the Healing Hearts Together (HHT) intervention, an attachment-based relationship enhancement program for couples in which 1 partner has CVD, on relationship quality, mental health, and quality of life (QoL).

Method: Patients from a tertiary cardiac care center and their partners (N = 78; 39 couples) attended the 8-session HHT group.

Learning a new way of living together: a qualitative study exploring the relationship changes and intervention needs of patients with cardiovascular disease and their partners.

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) not only affects the patient, but has implications for the partner. Emerging evidence suggests that supportive couple relationships enhance CVD outcomes and reduce patient and partner distress. To date, however, little research has been done to address the couple relationship as a potentially important component of cardiac care.

A bidirectional path analysis model of smoking cessation self-efficacy and concurrent smoking status: impact on abstinence outcomes.

Self-efficacy is routinely associated with abstinence in the addictions literature, and is a major component relapse-prevention models. The magnitude of this relationship has been brought into question following equivocal results in studies controlling for concurrent smoking status. The aim of our study was to clarify the relationship between cessation self-efficacy, smoking status, and cessation outcomes in a cohort of treatment-seeking smokers.

Nicotine metabolite ratio and smoking outcomes using nicotine replacement therapy and varenicline among smokers with and without psychiatric illness.

Introduction: It has been suggested that the effectiveness of nicotine replacement smoking cessation pharmacotherapy may be enhanced by assessing rates of nicotine metabolism using the nicotine metabolite ratio - which reflects differences in the activity of the CYP2A6 hepatic enzyme - and titrating doses appropriately. To date, supporting evidence is equivocal, with little information regarding the assessment and effectiveness of the nicotine metabolite ratio among smokers with psychiatric conditions.

Methods: The nicotine metabolite ratio of 499 smokers from the FLEX trial was determined using urine samples obtained at baseline.

Factor structure of the Smoking Cessation Self-Efficacy Questionnaire among smokers with and without a psychiatric diagnosis.

Cessation self-efficacy has been shown to be a consistent predictor of smoking cessation outcomes. To date, no scale assessing cessation self-efficacy has been validated across smokers with and without a psychiatric diagnosis (current or past). Smokers with a psychiatric diagnosis are typically heavy smokers, have a more difficult time quitting, and are more prone to experience lower self-efficacy.

Flexible, dual-form nicotine replacement therapy or varenicline in comparison with nicotine patch for smoking cessation: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Extended use of combined pharmacotherapies to treat tobacco dependence may increase smoking abstinence; few studies have examined their effectiveness. The objective of this study was to evaluate smoking abstinence with standard nicotine patch (NRT), extended use of combined formulations of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT+), or varenicline (VR).

Methods: A total of 737 smokers, including those with medical and psychiatric comorbidities, were randomly assigned to one of the above three treatment conditions.

The Quit Experience and Concerns of Smokers With Psychiatric Illness.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to better understand the quit experience and concerns of smokers with psychiatric illness (i.e., major depressive, anxiety, psychotic and bipolar disorders) in comparison with those without psychiatric illness.

Flexible and extended dosing of nicotine replacement therapy or varenicline in comparison to fixed dose nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation: rationale, methods and participant characteristics of the FLEX trial.

Quitting smoking is the single most effective strategy to reduce morbidity and premature mortality in smokers. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in smoking cessation, but few studies have directly compared varenicline and monotherapy nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and none have examined varenicline and combinations of NRT products. The majority of smoking cessation trials involve carefully circumscribed populations, making their results less generalizable to those with severe medical conditions or psychiatric comorbidities.

Assessing the longitudinal associations and stability of smoking and depression syndrome over a 4-year period in a community sample with type 2 diabetes 24.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the stability and longitudinal association between depression and smoking status within a community sample with type 2 diabetes (T2D) while controlling for sociodemographic and disease-related variables.

Methods: Adults with T2D were recruited and agreed to be followed-up via random digit dialing for the Montreal Diabetes Health Study. At baseline, 1614 individuals were classified as never (n = 592), former (n = 690), light (≤10 cigarettes a day; n = 128) and moderate-heavy (11+ cigarettes a day; n = 204) smokers.

Recurrent subthreshold depression in type 2 diabetes: an important risk factor for poor health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between recurrent subthreshold depressive episodes and functioning in a prospective community sample of people with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A prospective community study in Quebec, Canada, was carried out between 2008 and 2013 (n = 1,064). Five yearly follow-up assessments (telephone interviews) were conducted.

The association between smoking and depression in a Canadian community-based sample with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To investigate the association between depression and smoking status within a community-based sample with type 2 diabetes mellitus, while controlling for socio-demographic, diabetes-related characteristics and complications, disability, other chronic illness and other health-related variables.

Method: A total of 1868 adults with type 2 diabetes were recruited via random digit dialing for the Montreal Health and Well Being Study (DHS). Smoking was classified as never, former, light (≤10 cigarettes a day) and moderate/heavy (11+ cigarettes a day).

Association of diabetes with anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Anxiety has been shown to be associated with poor outcomes in people with diabetes. However, there has been little research which has specifically examined whether diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased likelihood of co-morbid anxiety. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine whether people with diabetes are more likely to have anxiety disorders or elevated anxiety symptoms than people who do not have diabetes.

Exploring the association of psychological status with self-rated diabetes control: results from the Montreal evaluation of diabetes treatment study.

Aims: There is an increasing interest in single-item self-rated indicators of perceived health and control status in people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes. However, self-rated measures can be associated with indicators of psychological status. The aim of this paper is to explore the association of anxiety, depression, and diabetes distress with self-rated diabetes control.