Efficacy and Safety of Combination Behavioral Activation for Smoking Cessation and Varenicline for Treating Tobacco Dependence among Individuals with Current or Past Major Depressive Disorder: A 2x2 Factorial, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

A randomized trial in smokers with major depressive disorder found that varenicline improved smoking abstinence vs. placebo at 27 weeks without elevating rates of adverse events. Behavioral activation for smoking cessation did not outperform standard behavioral treatment with or without adjunctive varenicline therapy.