Positive and negative life changes in the 6 mo. prior to treatment were related to cessation and maintenance of smoking. 20 subjects who initially quit smoking during treatment and those 8 who maintained cessation at 4 mo. reported significantly fewer positive life changes prior to treatment. Negative life changes were unrelated to success in therapy. The results support Sarason, Johnson, and Siegel, who in 1978 argued for the utility of differentiating between positive and negative life changes
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