University of Santiago de Compostela develops StopHumo app for smoking cessation

StopHumo has arrived as a new eight-week mobile application designed to deliver cognitive-behavioral therapy for smoking cessation, featuring daily cigarette tracking, stimulus control, and personalized physical activity goals. Developed by the Smoking and Addictive Disorders Unit at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Santiago de Compostela, the digital tool aims to test whether varying levels of professional psychological support improve abstinence rates.

Digital Translation of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment

The Smoking and Addictive Disorders Unit at the University of Santiago de Compostela created StopHumo to support a free psychological program for quitting smoking. The application translates cognitive-behavioral treatment into a digital format spanning eight weeks. It includes a daily cigarette registry, tobacco information, progressive nicotine reduction, stimulus control, and techniques for managing cravings. Additional features encompass social support, personalized physical activity objectives, and relapse prevention strategies.

The platform also incorporates behavioral activation centered on mood and anhedonia, alongside motivational notifications and a reward system. During the follow-up phase, users receive ongoing strategies to handle the desire to smoke, maintain motivation, and preserve abstinence. Users can directly contact the university unit through the application to request enrollment in the program.

Trial Tests Different Levels of Therapeutic Support

Researchers are currently evaluating StopHumo through a randomized controlled trial designed to measure the impact of varying therapeutic contact intensities. One group will use the application for eight weeks without therapeutic support, although they may receive technical assistance when necessary. A second group will combine the app with eight weekly one-hour group sessions via video call. A third group will use the app alongside four one-hour group sessions, one every two weeks.

Clinical psychology professionals or general health psychologists conduct the support sessions. The higher-intensity sessions explore the cognitive and behavioral techniques built into the application more thoroughly. Lower-intensity sessions focus on reviewing progress, reinforcing goals, planning for cessation, and addressing specific difficulties.

Researchers Hypothesize That Higher Contact Improves Abstinence

The efficacy of StopHumo is still being evaluated, as the published research details the trial protocol rather than final outcomes. Investigators hypothesize that higher therapeutic contact may yield better abstinence results, particularly for individuals facing significant challenges such as high nicotine dependence or mental health issues. However, the research team emphasizes that this expectation is currently a hypothesis awaiting trial data.

The study will assess abstinence at the end of the treatment and subsequently at three, six, and twelve months. Researchers define the primary measure as not having smoked during the seven days preceding each evaluation, validated using carbon monoxide testing.