Trying to stop smoking? There's an app for that, and Tauranga master's student Satvir Singh is looking for smokers to test it out.

'I'm looking to investigate the effectiveness of the app SmartQuit,” explains the University of Waikato student, 'which was the first app to use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles (ACT) to target smoking cessation.

Satvir Singh is looking for app testers who wish to stop smoking. Photo: Supplied.

'The underlying goal of ACT is to assist people to accept challenging experiences they've faced in the past and to act on their fundamental values.

'ACT differs from mainstream therapies in that the desired effect of treatment is an increase in psychological flexibility and not symptom reduction.

'My primary focus will be on the extent to which smoking rates, cravings and urges decline with the use of this programme.”

The app has been clinically proven and is the first app to have employed such techniques to help quit smoking, says Satvir.

'Within the study I will be providing these apps free of charge to participants in addition to ongoing support from me.”

In spite of longer life being an obvious reason to quit smoking, it seems the short-term gains of pleasure and relaxation outweigh the long-term health consequences, says Satvir.

Around 90 per cent of smokers report that they want to quit and regret taking it up in the first place, but only 50 per cent try to quit and just 2.5 per cent are successful every year.

'In spite of the risk factors, consumption of this substance remains at high levels,” she adds. 'However, the use of mobile phones to deliver smoking cessation leads to double the quit rate.”

Satvir is studying towards a Master of Social Sciences, majoring in Psychology, within the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences under the supervision of doctors Rebecca Sargisson and Nicola Starkey.

She is seeking research participants that are 18 years of age and over, have access to a smart phone and smoke 10 or more cigarettes per day.

Participation will involve taking part in five phases, in which participants will be asked to record smoking, urges and cravings, complete brief questionnaires and download SmartQuit free of charge.

Two follow-up surveys will also be completed at the end of the study that will allow treatment and smoking outcomes to be measured.

For more information, or if you would like to be involved in this research, please contact Satvir Singh on: sks42@students.waikato.ac.nz

Satvir Singh is investigating the effectiveness of the SmartQuit app.