The potential impact of smoke-free facilities on smoking cessation in people with mental illness.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to estimate the degree to which smoke-free facilities may facilitate smoking cessation in smokers with mental illness by estimating the proportion of smokers with mental illness who receive inpatient treatment, their smoking rates and average durations of stay.


METHODS
Smoking and hospitalization rates were estimated from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Information on duration of inpatient treatment was calculated from the Western Australian Mental Health Information System.


RESULTS
Of Australia's estimated 3,567,000 current adult smokers, 32.4% had a mental illness in the past 12 months, and 66.6% had a lifetime mental illness. However, only 1.4% of smokers were hospitalized for a mental health problem in the past 12 months, and 6.3% had ever been hospitalized for a mental health problem. Of those hospitalized for mental health treatment in the past 12 months, 61.2% were current smokers. In 2007 median duration of inpatient mental health admissions was 1 day, and 57% of admissions had duration of 2 days or less.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of smokers with mental illness are not treated in inpatient facilities, and where inpatient admissions occur they are generally of short duration. While smoking cessation is an important goal in treatment of smokers with mental illness, support after discharge from inpatient care is important for longer term cessation. Other strategies will be required to support smoking cessation efforts for the majority of smokers with mental illness not in contact with mental health services.
Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia. dlawrence@ichr.uwa.edu.au
David
D
Lawrence
Sharon
S
Lawn
Stephen
S
Kisely
Ann
A
Bates
Francis
F
Mitrou
Stephen R
SR
Zubrick
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000592:standards*; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology