Is self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence an useful measure for smoking cessation effectiveness among individuals with mental disorders?

Int Rev Psychiatry. 2023 Aug-Sep;35(5-6):468-474. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2023.2240388. Epub 2023 Jul 29.

Abstract

Smoking rates among individuals with mental disorders are higher compared to general population. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a smoking cessation treatment among individuals with and without mental disorders. Self-report 7-day point prevalence was used to assess abstinence status among 'intention to treat' (n = 1,213) and 'completers-only' (n = 578) samples. Participants were distributed in (1) ND-only; (2) ND and other substance use disorder (ND-SUD); (3) ND associated with mental disorder but no other SUD (ND-MD); and (4) co-morbid ND, SUD and MD (ND-SUMD). The treatment program was composed by six weeks of group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medical consultations. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied. Rates of abstinence between ND-only and both ND-MD and ND-SUMD differed in the 'intention-to-treat' sample, with the former group showing the best rate (62.5%, 48% and 45.4% respectively). ND-SUD had the second-best rate of abstinence (56.1%). Differences between groups were not observed among 'completers-only'. Self-report 7-day point prevalence abstinence is economical and reliable to be used in low to middle-income countries. In this study, it showed that the 6-week smoking cessation treatment had a positive effect among completers, which supports the importance of investing in treatment to decrease smoking prevalence in this population.

Keywords: Abstinence; mental disorders; nicotine dependence; substance use disorders; tobacco treatment.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders* / epidemiology
  • Mental Disorders* / therapy
  • Prevalence
  • Self Report
  • Smoking / psychology
  • Smoking Cessation* / psychology
  • Substance-Related Disorders* / complications