Smoking cessation among people seeking mental health treatment

This study examined smoking cessation characteristics of smokers who reported seeking mental health treatment.

Data for adult current smokers (N=18,939) were combined from the 2000, 2005, and 2010 National Health Interview Survey. Multivariate regressions were used to assess associations between smoking cessation behaviors, cessation-related social norms, and mental health treatment.

Smokers (N=1,897) who reported seeing mental health professionals for mental health problems had higher odds of having made attempts to quit in the past year (odds ratio [OR]=1.17), of having used nicotine replacement therapy (OR=1.28), and of using face-to-face counseling (OR=2.40), telephone quit lines (OR=1.81), and support groups (OR=1.63) to assist smoking cessation. They were more likely to have been advised by health professionals to quit smoking (OR=1.62) but less likely to live in a smoke-free home (OR=.78). Use of smoking cessation treatments and prevalence of smoke-free homes increased over the sampling period.

Findings highlight the need for tailored efforts to reduce tobacco use among people with mental health problems.