Smoking Use and Cessation Among People with Serious Mental Illness.
Smoking rates in people with serious mental illness (SMI) are disproportionately high compared to the general population. It is a leading contributor to the early mortality in this population. Smoking cessation rates are low in this group, though patients are motivated to quit. Unfortunately, health care providers do not always prioritize smoking cessation for this population. This review provides an overview of prevalence rates, biological effects that maintain smoking, and evidence-based treatments for smoking cessation in SMI. In addition, objective and qualitative data from a chart review of 78 patients with SMI prescribed smoking cessation treatment at one community mental health center are described. Of these, 30 (38.5 percent) were found to either quit (16/78) or reduce (14/78) smoking. Varenicline appeared to be particularly effective. Review of the literature and results of this study suggest that smoking cessation pharmacotherapies are effective for SMI patients and should be offered to those who smoke.
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Aniyizhai
A
Annamalai
University of California at San Francisco, Santa Rosa, California.
Noreen
N
Singh
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Stephanie S
SS
O'Malley
D015897:Comorbidity; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000068580:Varenicline / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D000068580:Varenicline
seriously mentally ill; smoking predisposition; smoking prevalence; tobacco cessation treatment