Barriers in psychiatrists' mind to active smoking cessation promotion in severe psychiatric disorders

Promoting the cessation of smoking in mental healthcare is a priority of international health organizations as it is the most cost-effective intervention in psychiatry.

To explore the representations of psychiatrists on their role in active smoking cessation prevention in severe psychiatric disorders.

Psychiatrists and residents in psychiatry were recruited at a national level by professional mailings.

One thousand four hundred and sixty participants were included in the study, and only 46% reported actively promoting smoking cessation. In multivariate analyses, participants aged<35years were more likely to promote cessation of tobacco smoking, as well as the two thirds who believe that psychiatry is a systemic discipline with complex interactions between brain, body and mind. Almost two thirds of those promoting tobacco cessation reported lacking time to combine psychiatric and physical examination during one session. The psychiatrists who reported not promoting tobacco smoking cessation also reported never dealing with physical health in case of the absence of a general practitioner and thinking that physical examination may have a negative impact on the therapeutic relationship. Almost all (96%) reported promoting the need for a general practitioner for their patients. We found no significant difference between the public and private sectors (P>0.05).

Young psychiatrists are more prone than their elders to promote smoking cessation but report lacking time to include it in their daily practice. Promotion of tobacco smoking cessation should be included in the components for quality evaluation for mental health services and specific sessions dedicated to this intervention.