A randomised controlled trial of motivational interview for relapse prevention after release from smoke-free prisons in Australia
International Journal of Prisoner Health
ISSN: 1744-9200
Article publication date: 23 December 2020
Issue publication date: 17 November 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine whether a single session of a motivational interview (MI) reduces smoking relapse amongst people released from smoke-free prisons.
Design/methodology/approach
This study sought to recruit 824 ex-smokers from 2 smoke-free prisons in the Northern Territory, Australia. Participants were randomised to receive either one session (45–60 min) face-to-face MI intervention 4–6 weeks prior to release or usual care (UC) without smoking advice. The primary outcome was continuous smoking abstinence verified by exhaled carbon monoxide test (<5 ppm) at three months post-release. Secondary outcomes included seven-day point-prevalence, time to the first cigarette and the daily number of cigarettes smoked after release.
Findings
From April 2017 to March 2018, a total of 557 participants were randomised to receive the MI (n = 266) or UC (n = 291), with 75% and 77% being followed up, respectively. There was no significant between-group difference in continuous abstinence (MI 8.6% vs UC 7.4%, risk ratio = 1.16, 95%CI 0.67∼2.03). Of all participants, 66.9% relapsed on the day of release and 90.2% relapsed within three months. On average, participants in the MI group smoked one less cigarette daily than those in the UC within the three months after release (p < 0.01).
Research limitations/implications
A single-session of MI is insufficient to reduce relapse after release from a smoke-free prison. However, prison release remains an appealing time window to build on the public health benefit of smoke-free prisons. Further research is needed to develop both pre- and post-release interventions that provide continuity of care for relapse prevention.
Originality/value
This study is the first Australian randomised controlled trial to evaluate a pre-release MI intervention on smoking relapse prevention amongst people released from smoke-free prisons.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Authors would like to acknowledge the NT Correctional Services for their assistance with this study. We also would like to acknowledge all the study participants for making this study possible.Funding: The SNAP study was supported by the Australian Commonwealth Government Department of Health Tackling Indigenous Smoking Grant (TIS H151G6012). The design, management, analysis and reporting of the study are independent of the funding body.Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Citation
Jin, X., Kinner, S.A., Hopkins, R., Stockings, E., Courtney, R.J., Shakeshaft, A., Petrie, D., Dobbins, T., Puljevic, C., Chang, S. and Dolan, K. (2021), "A randomised controlled trial of motivational interview for relapse prevention after release from smoke-free prisons in Australia", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 462-476. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-01-2020-0003
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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