Can Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Help Incarcerated Men Quit Smoking? Efficacy and Predictors of Treatment Outcomes

Launched by CENTRE HOSPITALIER ST ANNE · Mar 7, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at whether a special type of therapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help men in prison quit smoking. The researchers want to find out if the CBT group can help more people quit compared to a group that only receives health education about the risks of smoking and a control group that doesn’t receive any treatment for three months. Participants will be divided into three groups: one will attend three group sessions using CBT to learn how to quit smoking, another group will have a single session on health education, and the last group will wait without any intervention. Researchers will check how many people quit smoking and also measure things like how many cigarettes they smoke daily and the levels of carbon monoxide in their breath, which shows how much they are smoking.

To join the study, participants need to be male, 18 years or older, currently incarcerated at a specific prison in Paris, and must be regular smokers. They should also be able to speak and understand French well enough to join in the group discussions. This trial is not yet recruiting participants, but if someone is eligible, they can expect to complete some assessments, attend their assigned sessions, and return for follow-up visits after one and three months to see how they are doing with quitting smoking.

Gender

MALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Male individuals currently incarcerated at Maison d'Arrêt Paris-La Santé.
• • Aged 18 years or older at the time of inclusion.
• • Current smoker, defined as having smoked daily in the past 30 days, or having an occasional smoking pattern of at least 5 cigarettes during the past 30 days.
• • Able to speak and understand French well enough to follow the study procedures and actively participate in group sessions.
• • Sentence length of at least 6 months, or if in pretrial detention, having a scheduled trial date within at least 6 months.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Age under 18 years at the time of inclusion.
• • Inability to speak and understand French well enough to follow the study procedures and actively participate in group sessions.
• • Sentence length of less than 6 months, or if in pretrial detention, having a scheduled trial date in less than 6 months or no available information about the trial date.
• • Severe cognitive impairment that affects comprehension and participation in the study.
• • Unstable psychiatric conditions (including acute psychotic disorders, severe mood disorders, severe anxiety disorders).
• • Individuals under legal guardianship or conservatorship (e.g., placed under tutelage, curatorship, or temporary guardianship).