Depression symptom level associates with negative and positive affect and cognitive dysfunction during a smoking cessation quit attempt.

Introduction: Individuals with elevated depression symptoms experience low positive affect, high negative affect, and cognitive dysfunction. Affective and cognitive disruptions also occur during cigarette abstinence. This study examined whether depression symptom levels associate with affect and cognitive dysfunction during a cigarette quit attempt.

Method: Adults age 21+ from California (United States) with daily cigarette smoking (n = 209, 49.28 % female, 50.00 % White) completed a baseline assessment, including measures of depression symptoms. Participants completed 28 days of daily diaries and began a quit attempt approximately one week after starting the daily diaries. Every morning participants reported prior day cigarette abstinence, affect (positive and negative), and cognitive dysfunction (PROMIS Cognitive Function Short Form).

Results: During a cigarette quit attempt, individuals with elevated depression symptom levels reported lower positive affect (estimate = -0.62, p < .001), and higher negative affect and cognitive dysfunction (estimates = 0.47-0.50, ps < 0.001). There was also a significant interaction of depression symptom levels and prior day cigarette abstinence with negative affect (estimate = -0.17, p = .006). Prior day cigarette abstinence (vs. prior day cigarette non-abstinence) significantly increased negative affect in individuals with low depression symptom levels, but did not significantly associate with negative affect in individuals with elevated depression symptom levels. No significant depression symptom level and abstinence interactions were found for positive affect or cognitive function.

Conclusions: Findings highlight the differential impact of cigarette abstinence on affect and cognitive function, emphasizing the need for tailored smoking cessation strategies for individuals with elevated depression symptoms.