title: Correlates of tobacco dependence and motivation to quit among young people receiving mental health treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Young people with mental health concerns are at high-risk for initiation and continuation of tobacco use. To inform treatment needs, the current study sought to describe tobacco dependence, motivations to quit and associated sociodemographic factors among young people seen in mental health settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty adolescent and young adult smokers (age mean=19.5 years, range 13-25) receiving outpatient mental health treatment completed measures of tobacco dependence, motivation to quit smoking, mental health, and social environmental factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants averaged 8.0 cigarettes per day (SD=6.6) and moderate nicotine dependence (mFTQ M=4.8, SD=1.6). Participants' mean rating (10-point scales) of perceived difficulty with avoiding relapse during a quit attempt was significantly higher (M=6.7, SD=2.6), than ratings of desire (M=5.1, SD=2.6) and perceived success (M=4.6, SD=2.6) with quitting. Over half (52%) did not intend to quit smoking in the next 6 months, and few (11%) were prepared to quit in the next 30 days. Mental health treatment and symptomatology measures were unrelated to level of dependence or motivation to quit. Among the social environmental factors, having close friends who smoke was associated with greater perceived difficulty with avoiding relapse during a quit attempt (r=0.25, p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this sample of adolescent and young adult smokers in mental health treatment, moderate levels of tobacco dependence and motivation to quit were observed and found to be unrelated to mental health measures. Over half of the sample was not intending to quit smoking in the near future, supporting the need for treatment strategies aimed at increasing motivation.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, United States.
authors.forename: Rachel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Grana
authors.forename: Danielle E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Ramo
authors.forename: Sebastien C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fromont
authors.forename: Sharon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Judith J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Prochaska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009042:Motivation; D012008:Recurrence; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D012931:Social Environment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult