An Adaptation of Motivational Interviewing Increases Quit Attempts in Smokers With Serious Mental Illness

Promoting Evidence-Based Tobacco Cessation Treatment in Community Mental Health Clinics: Results of a Pilot Implementation Study: Promouvoir le traitement de sevrage tabagique fondé sur des données probantes dans les cliniques communautaires de santé mentale : résultats d'une étude pilote de mise en œuvre

OBJECTIVE

Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) but few persons with SMI are offered smoking cessation treatment. The purpose of this study was to pilot-test a multicomponent intervention to increase the delivery of evidence-based smoking cessation treatment in community mental health clinics (CMHCs).

METHOD

This study was carried out at five CMHCs in Maryland involving clinicians who participated in training in smoking cessation. Other implementation activities included the provision of a treatment protocol, coaching, expert consultation, and organizational strategy meetings. The primary outcome was a change in clinicians' knowledge and self-efficacy about smoking cessation. Secondary outcomes included documentation of evidence-based smoking cessation practices including assessment of smoking status and readiness to quit, and provision of smoking cessation treatment over the course of the 12-month intervention period.

RESULTS

A total of 91 clinicians participated in the study. Data were available on 6,011 clients. Clinicians' scores on the knowledge and self-efficacy measures increased modestly over the course of the implementation period. Overall, 57% of clients had their smoking status assessed; 81% of current smokers were evaluated about their willingness to quit; 82% of those willing to quit within 90 days received behavioral counseling, and 36% were prescribed or given smoking cessation pharmacotherapy. Clinicians rated the smoking cessation program highly in terms of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians at CMHCs were engaged by and participated in training and implementation activities around smoking cessation practices which they then delivered to a substantial portion of clients in their care. The results of this study provide important data for the future planning of testing implementation strategies to scale up tobacco cessation treatment in this population in outpatient mental health settings.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY TITLE

Implementing Smoking Cessation Treatment in Community Mental Health Clinics.

"Holding on to Hope": follow up qualitative findings of a tobacco treatment intervention for people experiencing mental health conditions

Background

Mental health service users are more likely to smoke tobacco and are as likely to make quit attempts as people not experiencing SMI, but they are less likely to succeed. Quitting tobacco can be harder for people experiencing SMI due to higher levels of nicotine dependence, more severe withdrawal, and many other complex factors. The Quitlink study was a randomized controlled trial combining a tailored 8-week Quitline intervention delivered by dedicated Quitline counsellors plus combination nicotine replacement therapy for people who experience SMI. The purpose of this paper is to report on the medium- and longer-term findings from interviews conducted at 5 and 8 months.

Methods

As a part of the broader Quitlink study, participants were invited to qualitative interviews at 2, 5 and 8 months following recruitment, in line with quantitative follow-up time points. Interviews were conducted with 28 participants in the Quitlink trial (intervention group n = 12, control group n = 16). Interviews were transcribed and analyzed with a thematic analysis methodology using NVivo 12. Key themes were determined using inductive coding.

Results

Six key themes were identified. These included: internal/external attributions for tobacco smoking, social relationships and relapse, the role of hopefulness in quitting, the role of clinicians in initiating and maintaining a quit attempt, increasing cessation literacy, and efficacy of the study intervention. Overall, findings suggested that participants' quit attempts were often precarious and vulnerable, but active support and feelings of social connectedness were key to supporting participants to initiate a quit attempt and maintain gains.

Conclusions

People who experience SMI can make attempts to quit smoking tobacco with support from clinicians and social networks. Connectedness and hope are significant enablers of making and sustaining quit attempts.

Trial registration

The Quitlink trial was registered with ANZCTR (www.anzctr.org.au): ACTRN12619000244101 prior to the accrual of the first participant and updated regularly as per registry guidelines.

Dying to Quit: Understanding the Burden of Tobacco in Psychiatric Patients-A Clinical Review

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide and remains a critical public health challenge. The burden of disease caused by smoking is disproportionately borne by persons living with mental illness. Public health efforts to address smoking have not historically translated to a significant reduction in smoking prevalence among patients with mental illness. Smoking is a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality among psychiatric patients who smoke at 1.7 to 3.3 times the rate of the general population. Among those with serious mental illness, tobacco-related illness accounts for half of all deaths. Nicotine dependence also interferes with treatment and worsens many psychiatric symptoms. Interventions are underutilized due to persistent misunderstandings regarding tobacco cessation for patients who are mentally ill. Addressing these misunderstandings is crucial in targeting the disparate rates of smoking in this population. Therefore, it is incumbent on psychiatrists to address the outsized effect that smoking has on patients with mental illness.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to induce attempts to quit tobacco among adults not ready to quit

The prevalence of past-year smoking cessation remains below 10% in the U.S. Most who smoke are not ready to quit in the near future. Cessation requires both (a) initiating a quit attempt (QA) and (b) maintaining abstinence. Most research has focused on abstinence among people already motivated to quit. We systematically reviewed interventions to promote QAs among people not motivated to quit tobacco. We searched PubMed, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, Embase, and our personal libraries for randomized trials of tobacco interventions that reported QAs as an outcome among adults not ready to quit. We screened studies and extracted data in duplicate. We pooled findings of the 25 included studies using Mantel-Haenszel random effects meta-analyses when ≥ 2 studies tested the same intervention. Most (24) trials addressed cigarettes and one addressed smokeless tobacco. Substantial heterogeneity among trials resulted in a series of small meta-analyses. Findings indicate varenicline may increase QAs more than no varenicline, n = 320; RR = 1.4, 95% CI [1.1, 1.7]; I² = 0%, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) may increase QAs more than no NRT, n = 2,568; RR = 1.1, 95% CI [1.02, 1.3]; I² = 0%. Pooled effects for motivational counseling, reduction counseling, and very low nicotine content cigarettes showed no clear evidence of benefit or harm. The evidence was judged to be of medium to very low certainty due to imprecision, inconsistency, and risk of bias, suggesting that further research is likely to change interpretation of our results. Findings demonstrate the need for more high-quality research on interventions to induce QAs among adults not ready to quit tobacco. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Effectiveness of personalized tobacco cessation intervention package among patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders - A two-group experimental study

INTRODUCTION

Persons with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders (PwS) smoke more, and have twice the rate of mortality, with 10-25 years lower life expectancy than the general population. Evidence-based tobacco cessation interventions would help in quitting.

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness of a personalized tobacco cessation intervention package for patients attending the outpatient psychiatry department.

METHODS

The study adopted a two-group experimental design in PwS, using a simple randomization method. Eligible participants were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 85) receiving the intervention package or the control group (n = 85) receiving brief advice to stop tobacco. The study outcomes were measured at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months. SPSS 23 was used for data analysis. Intention-to-treat analysis was used to manage missing data. The p-value of < 0.05 is considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

At 6 months, there was a significant difference (p < 0.001) in 7 days point-prevalence abstinence (28 % vs 10.8 %), reduction of tobacco by at least 50 % (62.4 % vs 40.9 %) with an attrition rate of 15.3 % vs 30.5 % in intervention and control group respectively. Reduction in nicotine dependence and tobacco craving, an increase in motivation level, quit attempts and clinical improvement favored the intervention group. 16.5 % of participants expressed interest in pharmacotherapy for tobacco cessation, 3.5 % were referred to a specialized tobacco cessation center, two control group participants were hospitalized for drug default, and withdrawal symptoms reported were mild.

CONCLUSION

Implementing a tobacco cessation intervention based on the stage of motivation aids in abstinence and reduction of tobacco use in PwS.

Development of a Personalized Tobacco Cessation Intervention Package (PTCIP) for Persons with Schizophrenia in India

Background

Among persons with schizophrenia (PwS), tobacco use is higher in comparison to the general population, contributing to greater morbidity and mortality. Pharmacological interventions combined with psychosocial interventions are effective in tobacco cessation. While the effectiveness of extant psychosocial interventions-when used in isolation-seems limited, developing better combinations of interventions could help treatment providers deliver tobacco cessation services to PwS at different stages of motivation to quit. We aimed to develop a personalized tobacco cessation intervention package (PTCIP) for PwS.

Methods

The stage-based intervention package was developed through a systematic review of interventions for tobacco cessation, the authors' clinical experience, and expert validation. The components of the intervention package, developed for PwS visiting the outpatient psychiatric department, were retained, removed, or added based on the content validity ratio (CVR).

Results

The final components included brief advice, principles of motivational interviewing, psychoeducation, decisional balance matrix, positive reinforcement, offering various treatment options, personalized feedback using a smoking-risk calculator, and prediction of cardiovascular risk using the WHO package of essential noncommunicable disease (PEN). The delivery of the intervention package was refined based on pilot testing in eight participants.

Conclusion

The tailored package was designed to be delivered by a mental health professional as a single comprehensive 40 min to 45 min face-to-face session, integrated with routine follow-up visits, followed by two telephonic conversations in the second and third week of the initial session. The package needs to be tested in a randomized controlled trial for its effectiveness.

A smoking cessation intervention for people with severe mental illness treated in ambulatory mental health care (KISMET): study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Smoking among people with severe mental illness (SMI) is highly prevalent and strongly associated with poor physical health. Currently, evidence-based smoking cessation interventions are scarce and need to be integrated into current mental health care treatment guidelines and clinical practice. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a smoking cessation intervention in comparison with usual care in people with SMI treated by Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) teams in the Netherlands.

METHODS

A pragmatic, cluster-randomised controlled trial with embedded process evaluation will be conducted. Randomisation will be performed at the level of FACT teams, which will be assigned to the KISMET intervention or a control group (care as usual). The intervention will include pharmacological treatment combined with behavioural counselling and peer support provided by trained mental health care professionals. The intervention was developed using a Delphi study, through which a consensus was reached on the core elements of the intervention. We aim to include a total of 318 people with SMI (aged 18-65 years) who smoke and desire to quit smoking. The primary outcome is smoking status, as verified by carbon monoxide measurements and self-report. The secondary outcomes are depression and anxiety, psychotic symptoms, physical fitness, cardiovascular risks, substance use, quality of life, and health-related self-efficacy at 12 months. Alongside the trial, a qualitative process evaluation will be conducted to evaluate the barriers to and facilitators of its implementation as well as the satisfaction and experiences of both patients and mental health care professionals.

DISCUSSION

The results of the KISMET trial will contribute to the evidence gap of effective smoking cessation interventions for people treated by FACT teams. Moreover, insights will be obtained regarding the implementation process of the intervention in current mental health care. The outcomes should advance the understanding of the interdependence of physical and mental health and the gradual integration of both within the mental health care system.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register, NTR9783. Registered on 18 October 2021.

Promoting Evidence-Based Tobacco Cessation Treatment in Community Mental Health Clinics: Protocol for a Pilot Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND

Tobacco smoking is highly prevalent among persons with serious mental illness (SMI) and is the largest contributor to premature mortality in this population. Evidence-based smoking cessation therapy with medications and behavioral counseling is effective for persons with SMI, but few receive this treatment. Mental health providers have extensive experience working with clients with SMI and frequent treatment contacts, making them well positioned to deliver smoking cessation treatment. However, few mental health providers feel adequately trained to deliver this treatment, and many providers believe that smokers with SMI are not interested in quitting or have concerns about the safety of smoking cessation pharmacotherapy, despite substantial evidence to the contrary.

OBJECTIVE

We present the protocol for the pilot "IMPACT" (Implementing Action for Tobacco Smoking Cessation Treatment) study, which aims to pilot test a multicomponent implementation intervention to increase the delivery of evidence-based tobacco smoking cessation treatment in community mental health clinics.

METHODS

We are using a prepost observational design to examine the effects of an implementation intervention designed to improve mental health providers' delivery of the following four evidence-based practices related to smoking cessation treatment: (1) assessment of smoking status, (2) assessment of willingness to quit, (3) behavioral counseling, and (4) pharmacotherapy prescribing. To overcome key barriers related to providers' knowledge and self-efficacy of smoking cessation treatment, the study will leverage implementation strategies including (1) real-time and web-based training for mental health providers about evidence-based smoking cessation treatment and motivational interviewing, including an avatar practice module; (2) a tobacco smoking treatment protocol; (3) expert consultation; (4) coaching; and (5) organizational strategy meetings. We will use surveys and in-depth interviews to assess the implementation intervention's effects on providers' knowledge and self-efficacy, the mechanisms of change targeted by the intervention, as well as providers' perceptions of the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of both the evidence-based practices and implementation strategies. We will use data on care delivery to assess providers' implementation of evidence-based smoking cessation practices.

RESULTS

The IMPACT study is being conducted at 5 clinic sites. More than 50 providers have been enrolled, exceeding our recruitment target. The study is ongoing.

CONCLUSIONS

In order for persons with SMI to realize the benefits of smoking cessation treatment, it is important for clinicians to implement evidence-based practices successfully. This pilot study will result in a set of training modules, implementation tools, and resources for clinicians working in community mental health clinics to address tobacco smoking with their clients. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04796961; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04796961.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04796961; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04796961.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/44787.

A systematic review of behavioural smoking cessation interventions for people with severe mental ill health-what works?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

People with severe mental ill health smoke more and suffer greater smoking-related morbidity and mortality. Little is known about the effectiveness of behavioural interventions for smoking cessation in this group. This review evaluated randomized controlled trial evidence to measure the effectiveness of behavioural smoking cessation interventions (both digital and non-digital) in people with severe mental ill health.

DESIGN

Systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis. We searched between inception and January 2020 in Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Health Management Information Consortium and CENTRAL databases.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of behavioural smoking cessation and reduction interventions in adults with severe mental ill health, conducted in any country, in either in-patient or community settings and published in English.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was biochemically verified smoking cessation. Smoking reduction and changes in mental health symptoms and body mass index (BMI) were included as secondary outcomes. Narrative data synthesis and meta-analysis were conducted and the quality of included studies was appraised using the risk of bias 2 (RoB2) tool.

FINDINGS

We included 12 individual studies (16 articles) involving 1861 participants. The first meta-analysis (three studies, 921 participants) demonstrated effectiveness of bespoke face-to-face interventions compared with usual care across all time-points [medium-term: relative risk (RR) = 2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.38-3.81; long-term: RR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.09-2.30]. The second (three studies, 275 participants) did not demonstrate any difference in effectiveness of bespoke digital on-line interventions compared with standard digital on-line interventions (medium-term: RR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.17-4.46). A narrative overview revealed mixed results when comparing bespoke face-to-face interventions with other active interventions. The methodological quality of studies was mixed, with the majority having some concerns mainly around risk of selective reporting.

CONCLUSIONS

Face-to-face bespoke smoking cessation interventions for adults with severe mental ill health appear to be effective when compared with treatment as usual, but evidence is equivocal when compared with other active interventions. There is limited evidence comparing bespoke digital interventions with generic interventions, and we found no studies comparing them with usual treatment.

Improving oral health in people with severe mental illness (SMI): A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Those with severe mental illness (SMI) are at greater risk of having poor oral health, which can have an impact on daily activities such as eating, socialising and working. There is currently a lack of evidence to suggest which oral health interventions are effective for improving oral health outcomes for people with SMI.

AIMS

This systematic review aims to examine the effectiveness of oral health interventions in improving oral health outcomes for those with SMI.

METHODS

The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (ID CRD42020187663). Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, AMED, HMIC, CINAHL, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies, along with conference proceedings and grey literature sources. Titles and abstracts were dual screened by two reviewers. Two reviewers also independently performed full text screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessments. Due to heterogeneity between studies, a narrative synthesis was undertaken.

RESULTS

In total, 1462 abstracts from the database search and three abstracts from grey literature sources were identified. Following screening, 12 studies were included in the review. Five broad categories of intervention were identified: dental education, motivational interviewing, dental checklist, dietary change and incentives. Despite statistically significant changes in plaque indices and oral health behaviours as a result of interventions using dental education, motivational interviewing and incentives, it is unclear if these changes are clinically significant.

CONCLUSION

Although some positive results in this review demonstrate that dental education shows promise as an intervention for those with SMI, the quality of evidence was graded as very low to moderate quality. Further research is in this area is required to provide more conclusive evidence.

Comparison of smoking cessation program registration, participation, smoking cessation medication utilization and abstinence rates between smokers with and without schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder or bipolar disorder

INTRODUCTION

People with serious mental illness (SMI) are three times more likely to smoke and be heavy smokers than smokers without SMI. Counseling combined with smoking cessation medication (SCM) is the recommended treatment. However until 2017, SCM prescription for SMI smokers was discouraged (FDA black box warning). This study compared use of smoking cessation programs (SCP) and SCM between smokers with and without SMI.

METHODS

Data regarding SCP and SCM use were extracted from the database of a large HMO that offers free Group and telephone SCP. SCP registration, participation, completion and abstinence rates between July 2013 and December 2019 were compared between smokers with and without SMI, controlling for demographic and health variables.

RESULTS

48,000 smokers registered for a SCP during the study period. Smokers with SMI were 1.8 times more likely to register for a SCP than smokers without SMI. Smokers without SMI were, however, 1.2 times more likely to start the SCP, 1.5 times more likely to complete the SCP and 1.6 times more likely to have quit by the end of the program. The strongest factors predicting abstinence were SCP completion and SCM use. Smokers with SMI were less likely to purchase SCM, although their purchase rate increased after the black box warning was lifted.

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking cessation programs and SCM use should be encouraged in the SMI population. Providing support during the quit attempt and adapting SCP to the needs of smokers with SMI, combined with SCM prescription promotion, should improve abstinence.

IMPLICATIONS

Smokers with serious mental illness (SMI) were more likely to seek professional help to quit smoking than non-SMI smokers, with over 30% achieving abstinence, discrediting healthcare professional beliefs that SMI smokers don't want to and cannot quit. Smoking cessation program (SCP) completion and smoking cessation medication (SCM) utilization were the strongest predictors of abstinence. SMI smokers were more likely to drop out of SCPs and less likely to use SCMs. Providing support during the quit attempt and adapting SCPs to the needs of smokers with SMI, combined with SCM prescription promotion, should improve abstinence.

Smoking Is Related to Reduced Motivation, But Not Global Cognition, in the First Two Years of Treatment for First Episode Psychosis

Smoking is highly prevalent in people with psychotic disorders, even in the earliest phases of the illness. The neural mechanisms of nicotine dependence and psychosis overlap and may also be linked to deficits in neurocognition and motivation in psychosis. Both neurocognition and motivation are recognized as important clinical targets, though previous research examining the effects of smoking on these features has been inconsistent. Here, we examine the relationships between smoking status and neurocognition and motivation over the first two years of treatment for psychosis through a secondary analysis of the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode-Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP) dataset. In a sample of 404 individuals with first-episode psychosis, we examined linear mixed-effects models with the group (smoker vs. non-smoker) by time (baseline, 12-month, 24-month) interaction as a predictor of global cognition and motivation. While all individuals showed enhanced global cognition and motivation over the 24-month course of treatment, non-smokers showed significantly greater gains in motivation. These changes in motivation also corresponded to improvements in functioning over the 24-month period. No significant effects of smoking were observed for global cognition. Our findings suggest that motivation and smoking cessation may be important early treatment targets for first-episode psychosis programs.

Motivational Interviewing Produces Change Talk in Smokers with Serious Mental Illness

Change talk, or client language that is consistent with making a behavioral change, has been found to improve the efficacy of motivational interviewing (MI). It is not known, however, if change talk helps to explain MI's effect on instigating a quit attempt in smokers with serious mental illness. Methods: We measured change talk in smokers with a serious mental illness (SMI) randomized to receive either a single session adaptation of motivational interviewing or an interactive education intervention. We evaluated relationships between treatment condition, proportion of change talk, and study outcomes of quit attempts and willingness to follow up on treatment provider referrals. Results: Participants receiving the adaptation of motivational interviewing had higher proportions of change talk than participants in the interactive education condition. However, total proportion of change talk did not mediate the relationship between treatment and outcome, nor did it predict making a quit attempt or following up on a referral to contact a treatment provider. Conclusions: Our study found that motivational interviewing has the same change talk augmenting effect in individuals with SMI as those without SMI. Given that anhedonia, negative affect, and depressive symptoms are a major part of serious mental illnesses, it is encouraging that MI can generate change talk in this population. Future smoking cessation intervention trials with larger samples should investigate whether greater amounts of change talk lead to increased quit attempts in this population.

History and Correlates of Smoking Cessation Behaviors Among Smokers With Serious Mental Illness

INTRODUCTION

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) smoke at rates two to three times greater than the general population but are less likely to receive treatment. Increasing our understanding of correlates of smoking cessation behaviors in this group can guide intervention development.

AIMS AND METHODS

Baseline data from an ongoing trial involving smokers with SMI (N = 482) were used to describe smoking cessation behaviors (ie, quit attempts, quit motivation, and smoking cessation treatment) and correlates of these behaviors (ie, demographics, attitudinal and systems-related variables).

RESULTS

Forty-three percent of the sample did not report making a quit attempt in the last year, but 44% reported making one to six quit attempts; 43% and 20%, respectively, reported wanting to quit within the next 6 months or the next 30 days. Sixty-one percent used a smoking cessation medication during their quit attempt, while 13% utilized counseling. More quit attempts were associated with lower nicotine dependence and carbon monoxide and greater beliefs about the harms of smoking. Greater quit motivation was associated with lower carbon monoxide, minority race, benefits of cessation counseling, and importance of counseling within the clinic. A greater likelihood of using smoking cessation medications was associated with being female, smoking more cigarettes, and receiving smoking cessation advice. A greater likelihood of using smoking cessation counseling was associated with being male, greater academic achievement, and receiving smoking cessation advice.

CONCLUSIONS

Many smokers with SMI are engaged in efforts to quit smoking. Measures of smoking cessation behavior are associated with tobacco use indicators, beliefs about smoking, race and gender, and receiving cessation advice.

IMPLICATIONS

Consideration of factors related to cessation behaviors among smokers with SMI continues to be warranted, due to their high smoking rates compared to the general population. Increasing our understanding of these predictive characteristics can help promote higher engagement in evidence-based smoking cessation treatments among this subpopulation.

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Web-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Versus Smokefree.gov for Smokers With Bipolar Disorder

INTRODUCTION

Smokers with bipolar disorder (BD) are less successful at quitting than the general population. In this study, we evaluated in a pilot randomized controlled trial a novel, targeted, web-based intervention for smokers with BD based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and designed for reach and disseminability.

AIMS AND METHODS

Daily smokers (n = 51) with bipolar I or II disorder were recruited from four US sites and randomly assigned to one of two web-based smoking cessation interventions-ACT-based WebQuit Plus (n = 25) or Smokefree.gov (n = 26) over a 10-week treatment period. All participants received nicotine patch for 8 weeks. Key outcomes were trial design feasibility, intervention acceptability, and cessation at end of treatment and 1-month follow-up.

RESULTS

We screened 119 to enroll 51 participants (target sample size = 60) over 24 months. The most common reason for ineligibility was the inability to attend study appointments. Retention was 73% at end of treatment and 80% at follow-up, with no differences by arm. The mean number of logins was twice as high for WebQuit Plus (10.3 vs. 5.3). The usefulness of program skills was rated higher for WebQuit Plus (75% vs. 29%). Biochemically confirmed, 7-day abstinence at end of treatment was 12% in WebQuit Plus versus 8% in Smokefree.gov (odds ratio = 1.46, 95% confidence interval = 0.21 to 9.97). At follow-up, abstinence rates were 8% in both arms.

CONCLUSIONS

Trial design produced favorable retention rates, although alternative recruitment methods will be needed for a larger trial. At end of treatment, acceptability and estimated effect size of WebQuit Plus relative to Smokefree.gov were promising and support continued program refinement and evaluation.

IMPLICATIONS

In this first randomized controlled trial of a targeted intervention for smokers with BD, we found that the ACT-based WebQuit Plus intervention, delivered in combination with the nicotine patch, had promising acceptability and cessation outcomes relative to Smokefree.gov. The observed signals for acceptability and cessation suggest that the WebQuit Plus program should be refined based on participant feedback and evaluated in a larger trial. Feasibility findings from this study also provide direction for refining trial procedures to enhance the recruitment of smokers with BD.

A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of Brief Interventions to Encourage Quit Attempts in Smokers From Socioeconomic Disadvantage

INTRODUCTION

Cigarette smoking disproportionately affects communities of low socioeconomic status where greater smoking prevalence and poorer cessation rates have been observed. Utilizing brief evidence-based interventions to increase cessation attempts may be an effective and easily disseminable means by which to mitigate undue burden in this population.

AIMS AND METHODS

The current intervention randomized daily smokers (N = 57) recruited from a local community soup kitchen to receive either Brief (eg, 30 m) Motivational Interviewing, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) sampling, or a Referral-Only intervention. Approximately half of participants (50.9%) reported not completing high school and many reported either just (41.4%) or not (40.4%) meeting basic expenses. Follow-up was completed approximately 1-month postintervention.

RESULTS

Nonsignificant group differences indicated that participants randomized to the NRT sampling condition were more likely to make a quit attempt (moderate effect size). Approximately 40% of the sample reported making a serious quit attempt at follow-up. Significant differences in cigarettes per day at follow-up, controlling for baseline, were observed, with participants in the Motivational Interviewing condition, only, reporting significant reductions. Participants randomized to the NRT condition were significantly more likely to report using NRT patch and lozenge at follow-up (large effect). There were no differences between groups with respect to seeking behavioral support. Finally, we found that subjective financial strain moderated the effect of condition on change in cigarette consumption where NRT sampling was more effective for participants reporting less financial strain.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide initial evidence for personalizing brief interventions to promote quit attempts in low-income smokers.

IMPLICATIONS

While most clinical research on tobacco use and dependence focuses on successful sustained abstinence, the current study is novel because it examined three brief interventions designed to increase the number of quit attempts made by a nontreatment-seeking group suffering from health disparities (ie, smokers from socioeconomic disadvantage). These data suggest that nontreatment-seeking smokers from socioeconomic disadvantage can be influenced by Brief MIs and these interventions should be used to motivate smokers from socioeconomic disadvantage to make a quit attempt. Future studies should examine combined MIs including pharmacological and behavioral interventions.

Brief, Web-Based Interventions to Motivate Smokers With Schizophrenia: Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND

In-person motivational interventions increase engagement with evidence-based cessation treatments among smokers with schizophrenia, but access to such interventions can be limited because of workforce shortages and competing demands in mental health clinics. The use of digital technology to deliver interventions can increase access, but cognitive impairments in schizophrenia may impede the use of standard digital interventions. We developed an interactive, multimedia, digital motivational decision support system for smokers with schizophrenia (Let's Talk About Smoking). We also digitalized a standard educational pamphlet from the National Cancer Institute (NCI Education). Both were tailored to reduce cognitive load during use.

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a randomized trial of Let's Talk About Smoking versus NCI Education to test whether the interactive motivational intervention was more effective and more appealing than the static educational intervention for increasing use of smoking cessation treatment, quit attempts, and abstinence among smokers with schizophrenia, accounting for the level of cognitive functioning.

METHODS

Adult smokers with schizophrenia (n=162) were enrolled in the study from 2014 to 2015, randomly assigned to intervention condition, and assessed in person at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Interventions were delivered on a laptop computer in a single session. All participants had access to standard, community-delivered cessation treatments during follow-up. Multivariate models were used to evaluate outcomes.

RESULTS

Treatment initiation outcomes were not different between intervention conditions (27/84 [32%] for Let's Talk About Smoking vs 36/78 [46%] for NCI Education; odds ratio [OR] 0.71 [95% CI 0.37-1.33]); 38.9% (63/162) of participants initiated treatment. Older age (OR 1.03 [95% CI 1.00-1.07]; P=.05), higher education (OR 1.21 [95% CI 1.04-1.41]; P=.03), and fewer positive symptoms (OR 0.87 [95% CI 0.80-0.96]; P=.01) predicted cessation treatment initiation, whereas level of cognition did not. The mean satisfaction and usability index score was higher for Let's Talk About Smoking versus NCI Education (8.9 [SD 1.3] vs 8.3 [SD 2.1]; t120.7=2.0; P=.045). Quit attempts (25/84, 30% vs 36/78, 46%; estimate [Est]=-0.093, SE 0.48; P=.85) and abstinence (1/84, 1% vs 6/78, 7%; χ21=3.4; P=.07) were not significantly different between intervention conditions. Cognitive functioning at baseline (Est=1.47, SE 0.47; P=.002) and use of any behavioral or medication cessation treatment (Est=1.43, SE 0.47; P=.003) predicted quit attempts with self-reported abstinence over the 6-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The interactive, multimedia intervention was not more effective than the static, text-based intervention among smokers with schizophrenia. Both tailored digital interventions resulted in levels of treatment engagement and quit attempts that were similar to findings from previous studies of in-person interventions, confirming the potential role of digital interventions to educate and motivate smokers with schizophrenia to use cessation treatment and to quit smoking. These findings indicate that additional cessation treatment is needed after brief education or motivational interventions, and that cessation treatment should be adjusted for people with cognitive impairment.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02086162; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02086162.

Motivational interviewing for smoking cessation

BACKGROUND

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a directive patient-centred style of counselling, designed to help people to explore and resolve ambivalence about behaviour change. It was developed as a treatment for alcohol abuse, but may help people to a make a successful attempt to stop smoking.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of MI for smoking cessation compared with no treatment, in addition to another form of smoking cessation treatment, and compared with other types of smoking cessation treatment. We also investigated whether more intensive MI is more effective than less intensive MI for smoking cessation.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialised Register for studies using the term motivat* NEAR2 (interview* OR enhanc* OR session* OR counsel* OR practi* OR behav*) in the title or abstract, or motivation* as a keyword. We also searched trial registries to identify unpublished studies. Date of the most recent search: August 2018.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials in which MI or its variants were offered to smokers to assist smoking cessation. We excluded trials that did not assess cessation as an outcome, with follow-up less than six months, and with additional non-MI intervention components not matched between arms. We excluded trials in pregnant women as these are covered elsewhere.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We followed standard Cochrane methods. Smoking cessation was measured after at least six months, using the most rigorous definition available, on an intention-to-treat basis. We calculated risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for smoking cessation for each study, where possible. We grouped eligible studies according to the type of comparison. We carried out meta-analyses where appropriate, using Mantel-Haenszel random-effects models. We extracted data on mental health outcomes and quality of life and summarised these narratively.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 37 eligible studies involving over 15,000 participants who smoked tobacco. The majority of studies recruited participants with particular characteristics, often from groups of people who are less likely to seek support to stop smoking than the general population. Although a few studies recruited participants who intended to stop smoking soon or had no intentions to quit, most recruited a population without regard to their intention to quit. MI was conducted in one to 12 sessions, with the total duration of MI ranging from five to 315 minutes across studies. We judged four of the 37 studies to be at low risk of bias, and 11 to be at high risk, but restricting the analysis only to those studies at low or unclear risk did not significantly alter results, apart from in one case - our analysis comparing higher to lower intensity MI.We found low-certainty evidence, limited by risk of bias and imprecision, comparing the effect of MI to no treatment for smoking cessation (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.12; I2 = 0%; adjusted N = 684). One study was excluded from this analysis as the participants recruited (incarcerated men) were not comparable to the other participants included in the analysis, resulting in substantial statistical heterogeneity when all studies were pooled (I2 = 87%). Enhancing existing smoking cessation support with additional MI, compared with existing support alone, gave an RR of 1.07 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.36; adjusted N = 4167; I2 = 47%), and MI compared with other forms of smoking cessation support gave an RR of 1.24 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.69; I2 = 54%; N = 5192). We judged both of these estimates to be of low certainty due to heterogeneity and imprecision. Low-certainty evidence detected a benefit of higher intensity MI when compared with lower intensity MI (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.37; adjusted N = 5620; I2 = 0%). The evidence was limited because three of the five studies in this comparison were at risk of bias. Excluding them gave an RR of 1.00 (95% CI 0.65 to 1.54; I2 = n/a; N = 482), changing the interpretation of the results.Mental health and quality of life outcomes were reported in only one study, providing little evidence on whether MI improves mental well-being.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence to show whether or not MI helps people to stop smoking compared with no intervention, as an addition to other types of behavioural support for smoking cessation, or compared with other types of behavioural support for smoking cessation. It is also unclear whether more intensive MI is more effective than less intensive MI. All estimates of treatment effect were of low certainty because of concerns about bias in the trials, imprecision and inconsistency. Consequently, future trials are likely to change these conclusions. There is almost no evidence on whether MI for smoking cessation improves mental well-being.

Feasibility of a support person intervention to promote smoking cessation treatment use among smokers with mental illness

Social support may be an effective strategy to increase engagement in cessation treatment for smokers with mental illness. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of a support person intervention linking smokers with mental illness to an online smoking cessation decision aid. We conducted a 12-week pilot study of a one-session telephone coaching intervention ("Care2Quit") to train nonsmoking family members and friends (i.e., support persons) to promote the use of an online cessation decision aid by smokers with mental illness. The primary aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of the support person intervention by examining recruitment, retention, adherence, and participant satisfaction. A secondary aim was to explore changes in the hypothesized mechanism underlying the intervention effect (i.e., cessation support provided) and primary outcome (i.e., smoker use of online cessation decision aid). Seventeen support persons enrolled, of which 94% (n = 16) completed the telephone coaching intervention. Eighty-eight percent of support persons rated the intervention as highly acceptable. Self-reported cessation supportive behaviors by the support person increased significantly by 6 weeks post intervention. Forty-one percent of smokers (n = 7) linked to support persons used the online cessation decision aid by 12 weeks following the support person's telephone coaching session. Preliminary results from this study demonstrate the feasibility of a support person intervention to promote the use of smoking cessation treatment among smokers with mental illness. Future research to evaluate the efficacy of the Care2Quit support partner intervention is warranted.

Helping Smokers with Severe Mental Illness Who Do Not Want to Quit

BACKGROUND

People with a severe and persistent mental illness are far more likely to smoke than others. While a large portion would like to quit, they are less likely to make quit attempts and succeed.

OBJECTIVE

This study used an Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to test an intervention designed to increase engagement in cessation treatment, quit attempts, and quitting in smokers who did not want to quit in the next 30 days. It also compared these smokers with those who were motivated to quit in the next 30 days.

METHODS

Participants (N = 222), were smokers with significant mental illness receiving intensive outpatient care from Wisconsin Community Support Programs who were not interested in quitting in the next 30 days. They were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or an attention control group. The intervention, administered during four weekly sessions, included a motivational element, components designed to prepare the smoker for a quit attempt, and pre-quit nicotine patch. Additionally, 48 smokers motivated to quit in the next 30 days served as a comparison group.

RESULTS

Compared to control participants, smokers receiving the intervention were more likely to be abstinent at the three month follow-up (biochemically verified, intent to treat, 8.5% vs. 1.0%, respectively, p = .01). They were also more likely to accept four more quitting preparation sessions (intent to treat, 50.8% vs 29.2%, respectively, p < .001) but were not more likely to call a telephone tobacco quit line. Conclusion/Importance: Brief motivational interventions increased engagement in cessation treatment and abstinence among smokers with signification mental illness.

Offer and Use of Smoking-Cessation Support by Depression/Anxiety Status: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Introduction: Higher levels of anxiety and depression have been found to be associated with greater difficulty in stopping smoking. This raises the question as to whether mood disturbance may be associated with exposure to, and use of, quitting support.

Aims: This study examined whether General Practitioner (GP) advice and/or offer of support, or stop-smoking service use differed between smokers reporting or not reporting depression/anxiety.

Methods: Data came from the Smoking Toolkit Study. Participants were 1,162 English adults who reported currently smoking or having stopped within the past 12 months, aged 40+ years, surveyed between April and September 2012. Anxiety/depression was assessed by the mood disturbance item of the EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D). This was compared to recall of GP quit advice and/or support, and stop-smoking aid use adjusting for age, gender, and social grade.

Results/Findings: Smokers reporting depression/anxiety were more likely to recall being offered advice and support to stop smoking by their GP (OR = 1.50, 95% C.I. = 1.05–2.13). However, there were no significant differences in use of stop-smoking aids during the past year.

Conclusions: Smokers reporting depression/anxiety are more likely to be offered stop-smoking support by their GPs, but this does not appear to translate into stop-smoking aid use, despite high motivation to quit. Given higher nicotine dependence in this group, mental health specific support may need to be offered, and more needs to be done to make this offer of aid attractive.

Reducing Smoking Among People With Schizophrenia: Perspectives on Priorities for Advancing Research

Although tobacco smoking is very common among people with schizophrenia and has devastating effects on health, strategies to ameliorate the risk are lacking. Some studies have reported promising results yet quit rates are much lower than in the general population. There is a need to advance research into smoking cessation efforts among people with schizophrenia. We posed the following question to five leading international experts in the field: "What are the top three research ideas we need to prioritize in order to advance the field of reducing smoking amongst people with schizophrenia?" They identified three broad priorities: (i) deeper understanding about the relationship between smoking, smoking cessation and symptomatology; (ii) targeted, adaptive and responsive behavioral interventions evaluated with smarter methodologies; and (iii) improvements in delivery of interventions. Efforts should be made to establish a collaborative international research agenda.

Smoking cessation in severe mental ill health: what works? an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

People with severe mental ill health are more likely to smoke than those in the general population. It is therefore important that effective smoking cessation strategies are used to help people with severe mental ill health to stop smoking. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and cost -effectiveness of smoking cessation and reduction strategies in adults with severe mental ill health in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

METHODS

This is an update of a previous systematic review. Electronic databases were searched during September 2016 for randomised controlled trials comparing smoking cessation interventions to each other, usual care, or placebo. Data was extracted on biochemically-verified, self-reported smoking cessation (primary outcome), as well as on smoking reduction, body weight, psychiatric symptom, and adverse events (secondary outcomes).

RESULTS

We included 26 trials of pharmacological and/or behavioural interventions. Eight trials comparing bupropion to placebo were pooled showing that bupropion improved quit rates significantly in the medium and long term but not the short term (short term RR = 6.42 95% CI 0.82-50.07; medium term RR = 2.93 95% CI 1.61-5.34; long term RR = 3.04 95% CI 1.10-8.42). Five trials comparing varenicline to placebo showed that that the addition of varenicline improved quit rates significantly in the medium term (RR = 4.13 95% CI 1.36-12.53). The results from five trials of specialised smoking cessation programmes were pooled and showed no evidence of benefit in the medium (RR = 1.32 95% CI 0.85-2.06) or long term (RR = 1.33 95% CI 0.85-2.08). There was insufficient data to allowing pooling for all time points for varenicline and trials of specialist smoking cessation programmes. Trials suggest few adverse events although safety data were not always reported. Only one pilot study reported cost effectiveness data.

CONCLUSIONS

Bupropion and varenicline, which have been shown to be effective in the general population, also work for people with severe mental ill health and their use in patients with stable psychiatric conditions. Despite good evidence for the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions for people with severe mental ill health, the percentage of people with severe mental ill health who smoke remains higher than that for the general population.

A systematic narrative review of the effectiveness of behavioural smoking cessation interventions in selected disadvantaged groups (2010-2017)

INTRODUCTION

Tobacco remains the key modifiable risk factor for the development of a number of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis and cancer. Among priority populations, smoking prevalence remains high, smokers tend to relapse more often and earlier and fewer are able to sustain quit attempts. This systematic review provides an update on the literature. Areas covered: Twenty-four randomized controlled trials published from 2010-2017, in English language, were identified after searching on Medline, Ovid, Embase and PsycINFO databases. Studies reported on the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions among six disadvantaged groups known to have high smoking rates: (i) homeless, (ii) prisoners, (iii) indigenous populations, (iv) at-risk youth, (v) people with low income, and (vi) those with a mental illness. Narrative review and assessment of methodological quality of included papers was undertaken. Expert commentary: There is a growing evidence base of methodologically robust studies evaluating a variety of behavioural smoking cessation interventions for priority populations. Multi-component interventions and those examining behavioural interventions incorporating mindfulness training, financial incentives, motivational interviewing and extended telephone-delivered counseling may be effective in the short-term, particularly for smokers on low incomes and people with a mental illness.

Achieving Smoking Cessation in Individuals with Schizophrenia: Special Considerations

Premature mortality due to cardiovascular disease in those with schizophrenia is the largest lifespan disparity in the US and is growing; adults in the US with schizophrenia die, on average, 28 years earlier than those in the general population. The rate of smoking prevalence among individuals with schizophrenia is estimated to be from 64 to 79%. Smokers with schizophrenia have historically been excluded from most large nicotine-dependence treatment studies. However, converging evidence indicates that a majority of smokers with schizophrenia want to quit smoking, and that available pharmacotherapeutic smoking cessation aids are well tolerated by this population of smokers and are effective when combined with behavioral treatment. The aim of this review is to present updated evidence for safety and efficacy of smoking cessation interventions for those with schizophrenia spectrum illness. We also highlight implications of the very low abstinence rates for smokers with schizophrenia who receive placebo plus behavioral treatment in randomized trials, and review treatment approaches to address the high rate of rapid relapse observed upon pharmacologic treatment discontinuation in this population. Recommendations for monitoring for treatment-emergent nicotine withdrawal symptoms, side effects, and effects of cessation on antipsychotic medication are also provided. Smokers with schizophrenia spectrum disorders should be encouraged to quit smoking and should receive varenicline, bupropion with or without nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), or NRT, all in combination with behavioral treatment for at least 12 weeks. Maintenance pharmacotherapy may reduce relapse and improve sustained abstinence rates. Controlled trials in smokers with schizophrenia consistently show no greater rate of neuropsychiatric adverse events with pharmacotherapeutic cessation aids than with placebo.

Long-term abstinence and predictors of tobacco treatment uptake among hospitalized smokers with serious mental illness enrolled in a smoking cessation trial

Hospital patients with serious mental illness (SMI) have high rates of smoking. There are few post-discharge treatment models available for this population and limited research on their treatment uptake following discharge. This study is a secondary analysis of an RCT that compared multi-session intensive telephone counseling versus referral to state quitline counseling at two safety net hospitals in New York City. For this analysis, we selected all trial participants with a history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder (N = 384) and used multivariable logistic regression to compare groups on self-reported 30-day abstinence at 6 months and to identify patient factors associated with use of tobacco treatment. Analyses found no significant group differences in abstinence 6 months (28% quitline vs. 29% intervention, p > 0.05), use of cessation medications (42% quitline vs. 47% intervention, p > 0.05) or receipt of at least one counseling call (47% quitline vs. 42% intervention, p > 0.05). Patients with hazardous drinking (p = 0.04) or perceived good health (p = 0.03) were less likely to use cessation medications. Homeless patients were less likely to use counseling (p = 0.02). Most patients did not use cessation treatment after discharge, and the intensive intervention did not improve abstinence rates over quitline referral. Interventions are needed to improve use of cessation treatment and long-term abstinence in patients with SMI.

Characteristics and Predictors of Intention to use Cessation Treatment among Smokers with Schizophrenia: Young Adults Compared to Older Adults

BACKGROUND

Over half of young adults with schizophrenia smoke. Quitting before age 30 could prevent some of the disparate morbidity and mortality due to smoking-related diseases. However, little research has addressed smoking in this group nor evaluated strategies to help young adults with schizophrenia quit smoking.

METHODS

We compared demographic and smoking-related characteristics of young adults and those over 30 years of age among 184 smokers with schizophrenia. With a series of regression models, we assessed whether age, gender, smoking characteristics, social norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control predicted intention to quit smoking and to use cessation treatments.

RESULTS

Young adults had smoked for fewer years, had lower nicotine dependence, and had lower breath carbon monoxide levels than those over 30, yet awareness of the harms of smoking and readiness to quit were similar between groups. Attitudes about smoking, attitudes about cessation treatment, social norms for cessation treatment, and perceived behavioral control for cessation treatment significantly predicted intention to use cessation treatment. Age was not a predictor of intention to quit, nor to use cessation treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Young adults with schizophrenia are amenable to smoking cessation intervention. Increasing awareness of the safety, efficacy and access to cessation treatments among smokers with schizophrenia and also among those in their social network may improve use of effective cessation treatment. These strategies may enhance the standard educational approach (increasing awareness of harms). Research is needed to evaluate such intervention strategies in smokers with schizophrenia of all ages.

Smoking, Mental Illness, and Public Health

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. In particular, people with mental illness are disproportionately affected with high smoking prevalence; they account for more than 200,000 of the 520,000 tobacco-attributable deaths in the United States annually and die on average 25 years prematurely. Our review aims to provide an update on smoking in the mentally ill. We review the determinants of tobacco use among smokers with mental illness, presented with regard to the public health HAVE framework of “the host” (e.g., tobacco user characteristics), the “agent” (e.g., nicotine product characteristics), the “vector” (e.g., tobacco industry), and the “environment” (e.g., smoking policies). Furthermore, we identify the significant health harms incurred and opportunities for prevention and intervention within a health care systems and larger health policy perspective. A comprehensive effort is warranted to achieve equity toward the 2025 Healthy People goal of reducing US adult tobacco use to 12%, with attention to all subgroups, including smokers with mental illness.