Counselling helped tobacco users quit more than brief advice or usual care did.

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   The 28 trials included 16,803 adults who used tobacco, mostly by smoking. Pregnant women and teenagers were not included.

2. 02

   What they did

   Counselling that helps people explore and resolve doubts about changing. Sessions lasted 10 to 60 minutes, one to six in all, and doctors, nurses or counsellors gave them. The other groups got brief advice, usual care, self-help materials, other support or nothing.

3. 03

   What happened

   Using the strictest quit rules and longest checks, 131 in 1,000 people had quit with counselling. Among people given brief advice or usual care, 104 in 1,000 quit. Sessions under 20 minutes gave a bigger gain than longer ones, and counselling did no better than self-help materials.

What the review found

1. Helped

   Across 28 trials, counselling helped people quit smoking more than brief advice or usual care did.

   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 28 studies with 16,803 people · vs people who got brief advice, usual care or other support · the authors rated their certainty moderate · ⚠ signs that small negative studies went unpublished; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

2. Helped

   In 9 trials, counselling sessions under 20 minutes helped more people quit than brief advice or usual care did.

   Pooled analysis of 9 studies with 3,651 people · vs people who got brief advice, usual care or other support · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

3. Helped

   Counselling in one session helped people quit about as much as several sessions did.

   Pooled analysis of 16 studies with 12,103 people · vs people who got brief advice, usual care or other support · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

4. No difference

   Across 6 trials, counselling did not help people quit more than self-help materials did.

   • Rule: With a coach or therapisttested

   Pooled analysis of 6 studies with 3,502 people · vs people who got self-help materials · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

Source