New intervention doubles smoking cessation rate in smokers with severe mental illness

Led by the University of York's Mental Health Addiction Research Group, SCIMITAR + is the largest trial ever to support smoking cessation among people using mental health services. Smoking rates among people with mental health problems are among the highest of all groups, having changed little over the last 20 years, while other smokers have quit. This new study shows that with adequate support, this inequality could be a thing of the past.

Mental health nurses have been trained to provide evidence-based behavioral support to smokers with severe mental illness in their homes, while giving them access to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and to drugs. The researchers found that smokers receiving this support were twice as likely to have quit smoking six months after the intervention than smokers receiving standard care, usually geared toward local service. stop smoking.

Professor Simon Gilbody, Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York and Hull York Medical School, said, "People with mental disorders die on average 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population, and smoking is the main factor This shocking difference.Our results show that smokers with severe mental illness can successfully quit when they receive the appropriate support.We hope our results will make it possible to so that this specialized support is available to all who could benefit from it. "

The long-term NHS plan published in January is committed to developing a dedicated support channel to help long-term users of mental health services quit smoking. The Partnership for Mental Health and Smoking recommends that the lessons learned from this study be incorporated into current practices at the national level.

Professor Tim Kendall, National Clinical Director for Mental Health at NHS England, said: "This exciting new research will help inform our work to implement the NHS long-term plan and provide the best possible support for smokers. The difference in the life expectancy of people with mental disorders should be a priority for all those working in the NHS and helping smokers to quit smoking is an essential means of living. to achieve it. "

Ann McNeill, Professor of Addiction at King & # 39; s College London and Co-Chair of the Partnership on Mental Health and Smoking, said, "The Mental Health and Tobacco Partnership welcomes the findings of this study. suffering from serious mental illness have been ignored for too long We hope that the NHS England will consider these results when implementing the ambition of the NHS Long-Term Plan. a mental health problem live in the community, that is, they provide primary and community care, and services must also strengthen their support to reduce life expectancy. shows how this can be done effectively. "