The feasibility and acceptability of a smoking cessation intervention for people with schizophrenia
Author(s)
Debbie Robson
Presenter(s)
Debbie Robson Tutor & Research Nurse, Institute of Psychiatry, Section of Mental Health Nursing, Health Service & Population Research, London
Abstract
Background:
Disproportionate high rates of smoking are a major contributing factor towards the health and social inequalities experienced by people with schizophrenia. Smoking cessation interventions tailored to meet the biopsychosocial challenges faced by people with schizophrenia who want to stop smoking are underdeveloped within UK mental health settings.
Aims & Methods: A tailored smoking cessation intervention was developed from a synthesis of the literature and influenced by effective interventions for smokers in the general population. The feasibility, acceptability and potential effect of a ‘cut down to quit’ intervention was evaluated with 30 patients with schizophrenia living in South London. Embedded within this, was an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of the process of stopping smoking.
Results: Carbon monoxide verified continuous abstinence rates at 4 weeks and 6 months follow up were comparable to quit rates of general population smokers using local NHS Stop Smoking Services. The difference between smokers who successfully quit and maintained abstinence for up to 6 months appeared to be influenced by their ability to tolerate nicotine withdrawal symptoms, better adherence to NRT and people’s capacity to renegotiate boundaries of existing relationships.
Conclusions: A tailored cut down to quit intervention proved feasible and acceptable to patients and the phenomenological study has enabled us to refine the intervention for further testing.
