Factors affecting smoking cessation efforts of people with severe mental illness: a qualitative study

An Examination of the Effectiveness of Smoking Cessation Treatment Interventions for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

To evaluate the effectiveness of two different smoking cessation interventions for individuals with severe mental illness. Study participants (N = 61) randomly assigned to the SC-R group (n = 29) were offered 24 weeks of no cost Nicotine Replacement Treatment (NRT); participants assigned to the SC + group (n = 32) were offered 24 weeks of no cost NRT plus two initial individual counselling sessions of motivational interviewing and weekly psychosocial group support for 24 weeks. At 6 months the smoking cessation outcome was 7% for the SC-R group and 14% for the SC + group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. Both groups showed a significant decrease in the number of cigarettes smoked per day and significant improvement in physical health functioning. Clients with severe mental illness, high prevalence of co-occurring substance use and experience of homelessness, are both interested and able to quit smoking and reduce cigarette use.

Gender Differences in the Interrelations Among Social Support, Stressful Life Events, and Smoking Cessation in People With Severe Mental Illnesses

BACKGROUND

Social support and stressful life events (SLEs) have been found to be influential factors for smoking cessation in the general population, but little is known about these factors among smokers with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) and whether their associations with smoking cessation differ by gender.

AIMS

To examine the association between social support and smoking cessation as mediated by SLEs in people with SMI and to examine whether the interrelations among social support, SLEs, and smoking cessation differ by gender.

METHODS

A population sample of 4,610 American lifetime adult smokers with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder were identified in a limited public use data set of the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Four mediation and moderated mediation models were used to examine gender differences in the interrelations among social support (total and three subscales of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12), SLEs (summative score of positive responses to 16 types experienced in past year and related to health, job, death, or legal situations), and smoking status in prior year.

RESULTS

Total, appraisal, and tangible support among females exerted indirect effects on smoking cessation via decreasing SLE scores. Among males, only belonging support exerted an indirect effect on smoking cessation via an increased SLE score.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that interventions focusing on improving social support should be a priority for those working with smokers with SMI.

A critical review of research into mental health consumers' perspectives on their physical health: Is there an absence of consumers in the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of this research?

We conducted a critical review, using systematic methods, of the literature examining mental health consumer perspectives on their physical and mental health in academic research published between 2005 and 2021. This review examined the inclusion, extent, type and centrality of consumer perspectives regarding their mental and physical health. The search produced 1,865 papers from which 116 met the inclusion criteria. Studies predominantly focused on consumers' individual experiences of their physical and mental health, including but not limited to their understandings and experiences of medication and associated risk factors. They also captured some social aspects of mental health consumers' physical health, including factors that impacted individual agency, stigma, and social and interpersonal factors. Structural factors affecting physical and mental health, such as accessibility of services and financial constraints, were also identified. The review revealed that in comparison to clinician perspectives, the direct representation of consumer perspectives was lacking. Similarly, while clinician and carer perspectives on structural factors were investigated, the consumer perspective in this area was missing. The review also found few genuine codesigned or coproduced research studies. To better identify and respond to the health needs as prioritized by consumers, this paper argues it is imperative that future studies prioritize codesigned and coproduced research. It is argued that a focus on "services as provided" rather than "services as received" has contributed to a lack of progress in addressing the life expectancy gap for consumers. It is recommended that journals, ethics committees and research policy organizations develop guidelines and standards to inform best practice in research on consumer perspectives and experience and to support the implementation of codesigned and/or coproduced approaches in future research. Respecting and including consumers as equal partners in the research process will lead to more meaningful insights to inform policy and practice and reduce the life expectancy gap for people living with mental health concerns.

Remission from nicotine dependence among people with severe mental illness who received help/services for tobacco/nicotine use

OBJECTIVES

A growing body of evidence supports pharmacological interventions to assist smoking cessation in people with severe mental illness (SMI); that is, lifetime major depressive disorder, bipolar disorders, or schizophrenia. Little is known about whether behavioral services are also associated with high probability of remission from nicotine dependence as compared to other types of help/services received (pharmacological, behavioral, or both).

METHODS

A sample of 726 American lifetime adult smokers with SMI and a history of nicotine dependence, who received help/services for tobacco/nicotine use, were identified. These data came from a limited public use dataset, the 2012-2013 NESARC-III. Survival analysis was used to compare the probability of remission from nicotine dependence and the time needed for full remission from nicotine dependence by type of help/services received for tobacco/nicotine use.

RESULTS

Remission was more frequent among those who received behavioral services. In addition, the average time from onset of nicotine dependence until full remission from nicotine dependence was shorter among those who received behavioral services.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study suggests a clinical need for behavioral interventions to promote the probability of remission from nicotine dependence among smokers with SMI. Health care providers could play a role in educating and encouraging smokers with SMI to seek and utilize behavioral services.

Variation in characteristics of people with mental disorders across smoking status in the Canadian general population

INTRODUCTION

People with mental disorders are less successful in smoking cessation efforts. This study compared the characteristics of current smokers and former smokers with mental disorders.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study that used the Public Use Microdata File of the Canadian Community Health Survey 2012. Survey respondents with any mental health disorder in the last 12 months (n=2700), identified using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview instrument, were included in the analysis. Smoking status was classified based on self-report responses as current, former and never smoker. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

The odds of quitting smoking were significantly lower among people who were single or never married (widowed/divorced/separated/single) compared to those who were married or had a common-law partner (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=0.6, 95% CI: 0.4–0.9). Similarly, significantly lower odds of quitting smoking were observed among people with less than post-secondary education compared to those with post-secondary education (AOR=0.4, 95% CI: 0.3– 0.6). Also, the odds of quitting were significantly lower among immigrants, young adults, and middle-aged adults.

CONCLUSIONS

People who are young or middle-aged, single or never married, less educated, and immigrants, are less likely to quit smoking. This pattern underscores the socioeconomic disparities in quitting smoking among people with mental disorders. Future research should investigate why these groups continue to smoke more often than their counterparts. This will help design the smoking cessation support that address the challenges experienced by vulnerable populations and reduce the disparities.

Approved and emerging smoking cessation treatments for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A narrative review

This review focuses on smoking cessation treatments for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. It concludes with comments on the significance of the research and why it constitutes an original contribution. We searched PubMed (National Library of Medicine), and PsycINFO (Ovid) (2006-2020) for studies on schizophrenic disorder (schizophrenia or psychotic or psychosis or severe mental illness) and smoking cessation treatment (smoking cessation treatment or varenicline or tobacco cessation or reduction or bupropion or NRT or behavioral treatment or e-cigarette). Studies found evidence suggesting that pharmacotherapy combined with behavioural therapy for smoking cessation is effective amongst smokers with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, although more long-term research is required. This review summarised and critically reviewed also studies on vaping as a smoking cessation strategy for smokers with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and evidence suggests that they may effective as smoking cessation tool and may be less harmful alternatives to combustible cigarette smoking. Consequently, e-cigarettes could be considered as an applicable instrument for Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) and smoking cessation. Overall, there are very few studies of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation in patients with schizophrenia and these studies are very small. They have promising results, but more research is needed.

Proactive outreach tobacco treatment for socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers with serious mental illness

Smokers with serious mental illness (SMI) face individual, interpersonal, and healthcare provider barriers to cessation treatment utilization and smoking abstinence. Proactive outreach strategies are designed to address these barriers by promoting heightened contact with smokers and facilitating access to evidence-based treatments. The present study examined the effect of proactive outreach among smokers with SMI (n = 939) who were enrolled in the publicly subsidized Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) and compared this effect to that observed among MHCP smokers without SMI (n = 1382). Relative to usual care, the intervention increased treatment utilization among those with SMI (52.1% vs 40.0%, p = 0.002) and without SMI (39.3% vs 25.4%, p < 0.001). The intervention also increased prolonged smoking abstinence among those with SMI (14.9% vs 9.4%, p = 0.010) and without SMI (17.7% vs 13.6%, p = 0.09). Findings suggest that implementation of proactive outreach within publicly subsidized healthcare systems may alleviate the burden of smoking in this vulnerable population. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01123967.

Tobacco smoking, related harm and motivation to quit smoking in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

This narrative review focuses on the topic of tobacco smoking amongst people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We searched PubMed, PsycInfo and Scopus databases for schizophrenia spectrum disorders and smoking and included articles about the epidemiology of tobacco smoking in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, examining the relationship between smoking and mental health. This narrative review describes that a higher prevalence, frequency and impact of both high nicotine dependence and its harmful effects in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders compared with those in the general population. Despite several existent theories, the reasons for high smoking rates, the high dependence on nicotine and severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms are not fully understood. The main aim of this paper is to inform mental health personnel and particularly clinical and health psychologists about the impact and role of tobacco smoking for smokers with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Which Types of Tobacco Treatment Interventions Work for People with Schizophrenia? Provider and Mental Health Consumer Perspectives

People with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (PWS) consume tobacco at high rates, resulting in disproportionate tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. Conventional tobacco treatment (TT) approaches may not adequately address unique affective, cognitive, and social challenges of PWS during cessation. This study sought to obtain provider and mental health consumer perspectives on effective, desirable, applicable, and acceptable components of TT for PWS. This convergent mixed-method study used structured interviews and a cross-sectional survey to obtain data. Eighteen mental health consumers and six mental health providers were engaged in face-to-face or telephone interviews. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis and theme identification and descriptive statistics were used for the analysis of quantitative data. In the qualitative analysis, consumers endorsed education, counseling, social support, and pharmacotherapy as key TT components. Consumers further stressed the need for flexible interventions that are available at any point in a quit attempt. Both providers and consumers endorsed targeting TT interventions to consider learning needs, potential cognitive issues, and motivation for behavioral change. Providers encouraged a recovery-driven TT framework with peer support and health promotion activities. Quantitative findings mirrored the qualitative findings with support sessions, relapse prevention, and skills training having the highest desirability, applicability, and acceptability TT component scores. Providers and consumers agreed on components of an effective TT program targeted to PWS. Given these findings, it is crucial to further investigate successful TT approaches for PWS and to test whether targeted or tailored programs are more effective than conventional approaches.

Tailoring of a Smartphone Smoking Cessation App (Kick.it) for Serious Mental Illness Populations: Qualitative Study

Background

Smoking rates of Australians with severe mental illness (SMI) are disproportionately higher than the general population. Despite the rapid growth in mobile health (mHealth) apps, limited evidence exists to inform their design for SMI populations.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of adapting a novel smoking cessation app (Kick.it) to assist smokers with SMI to prevent smoking relapse and quit.

Methods

Using co-design, two in-depth interviews with 12 adult smokers and ex-smokers with SMI were conducted in this qualitative study. Stage 1 interviews explored participants’ smoking-related experiences and perceptions of social support for smoking cessation, informed the development of the stage 2 interview schedule, and provided context for participants’ responses to the second interview. Stage 2 interviews explored participants’ perceptions of the feasibility, utility, and acceptability of the app features for SMI populations.

Results

People with SMI perceived mHealth interventions to support their quit smoking attempts as feasible, acceptable, and useful. Key emerging themes included personalization of the app to users’ psychosocial needs, a caring app to mediate self-esteem and self-efficacy, an app that normalizes smoking relapse and multiple quit attempts, a strong focus on user experience to improve usability, and a social network to enhance social support for smoking cessation.

Conclusions

This study gained an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of smoking and quitting among people with SMI and their perception of the Kick.it app features to help inform the tailoring of the app. Specific program tailoring is required to assist them in navigating the complex interactions between mental illness and smoking in relation to their psychosocial well-being and capacity to quit. This study describes the adaptations required for the Kick.it app to meet the specific needs and preferences of people with SMI. Results of this study will guide the tailoring of the Kick.it app for SMI populations. The study findings can also inform a co-design process for the future development and design of smoking cessation apps for SMI populations.

Factors influencing the implementation of a pilot smoking cessation intervention among migrant workers in Chinese factories: a qualitative study

Background

Tobacco control intervention with Chinese internal migrants, especially those working in factories has rarely been investigated. This study aims to identify aids and barriers to implementing a comprehensive pilot intervention aimed at reducing smoking among migrant workers working in factories in China.

Method

Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted 3 months into the intervention, with managers, migrant workers and team leaders in two factories, where the pilot intervention was implemented, in Zhongshan city in Guangdong, a southern Chinese province. Data analysis was based on the thematic approach.

Results

This study identifies the societal, individual and programmatic factors that could influence the implementation of a pilot smoking cessation intervention among migrant workers in the two Chinese factories. At the societal level, social customs and relationships where smoking is seen as essential in social communications was the most important barrier to the implementation of smoking cessation intervention. At the individual level, migrant-related features such as low education, high mobility and poor integration with local residents, together with poor health beliefs and attitudes added to the challenges of implementing smoking cessation intervention. At the programmatic level, the role of small-team leaders was generally positive, although limited due to their busy work patterns and poor powers of enforcement.

Conclusion

Achieving successful smoking cessation intervention in factories could be challenging with many migrants, as multi-level factors including social context, intervention delivery, individual and migrants’ characteristics play an important role in shaping the implementation of the intervention. Our study suggests the importance of tailoring interventions for the migrant factory workers.

Trial registration

ChiCTR-OPC-17011637 at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. Retrospectively registered on 12th June 2017.

Mental health service user and staff perspectives on tobacco addiction and smoking cessation: A meta-synthesis of published qualitative studies

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: There are high rates of tobacco smoking in people living with mental illness, and rates are much higher than the general population. People living with mental illness experience high rates of cardiovascular disease and other physical health problems as a result of tobacco smoking. There is a lack of evidence on successful interventions for reducing the rates of smoking in people living with mental illness. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: A meta-synthesis of data from a number of studies to support mental health nurses to access data quickly and support the translation of findings into practice. Studies found staff working in mental health services expressed they did not have the confidence to adequately address smoking cessation for people living with mental illness. People living with mental illness would like support and encouragement support to help them achieve successful smoking cessation. People living with mental illness want support from mental health service staff to increase their confidence in smoking cessation rather than mainstream smoking cessation services. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Existing evidence-based interventions for smoking cessation has had limited impact on the smoking rates of people living with mental illness. Research is needed into innovative smoking cessation interventions and the service delivery of these interventions for people living with mental illness. Interventions to support people living with mental illness in smoking cessation could be part of mainstream mental health service delivery. Opportunities for smoking cessation training for mental health service staff could be provided.

ABSTRACT

Introduction People with mental illness are up to three times more likely to smoke and experience greater challenges and less success when trying to quit and therefore have higher risk of smoking-related morbidity and mortality. There is a lack of evidence on successful interventions to reduce the smoking rates in people living with serve mental illness. A meta-synthesis was undertaken to summarize the data from multiple studies to inform the development of future smoking cessation intervention studies. Methods MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL were searched in March 2017. A total of 965 titles and abstracts were screened for inclusion with 29 papers reviewed in full and 15 studies that met inclusion criteria. Included studies were assessed for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Key data across studies were examined and compared, and a thematic analysis was conducted. Results Analysis and synthesis developed five analytical themes: environmental and social context, living with a mental health illness, health awareness, financial awareness and provision of smoking cessation support. Themes generated the interpretive construct: "Whose role is it anyway?" which highlights tensions between staff perspectives on their role and responsibilities to providing smoking cessation support and support service users would like to receive. Relevance to mental health nursing Routine smoking cessation training for mental health professionals and research on innovative smoking cessation interventions to support people living with mental illness are needed. The Cochrane tobacco group has not found sufficient direct evidence of existing evidence-based interventions that have beneficial effect on smoking in people living with mental illness. With this in mind, mental health professionals should be encouraged to engage in future research into the development of new interventions and consider innovative harm reduction strategies for smoking into their practice, to reduce the morbidity and mortality many people living with mental illness experience from tobacco smoking.

Adapting, Pilot Testing and Evaluating the Kick.it App to Support Smoking Cessation for Smokers with Severe Mental Illness: A Study Protocol

(1) Background: While the prevalence of tobacco smoking in the general population has declined, it remains exceptionally high for smokers with severe mental illness (SMI), despite significant public health measures. This project aims to adapt, pilot test and evaluate a novel e-health smoking cessation intervention to assist relapse prevention and encourage sustained smoking cessation for young adults (aged 18⁻29 years) with SMI. (2) Methods: Using co-design principles, the researchers will adapt the Kick.it smartphone App in collaboration with a small sample of current and ex-smokers with SMI. In-depth interviews with smokers with SMI who have attempted to quit in the past 12 months and ex-smokers (i.e., those having not smoked in the past seven days) will explore their perceptions of smoking cessation support options that have been of value to them. Focus group participants will then give their feedback on the existing Kick.it App and any adaptations needed. The adapted App will then be pilot-tested with a small sample of young adult smokers with SMI interested in attempting to cut down or quit smoking, measuring utility, feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes in supporting their quit efforts. (3) Conclusions: This pilot work will inform a larger definitive trial. Dependent on recruitment success, the project may extend to also include smokers with SMI who are aged 30 years or more.

Implementation of a Quit Smoking Programme in Community Adult Mental Health Services-A Qualitative Study

Little is known about the experiences of people with severe mental health difficulties in smoking cessation interventions. This study aimed to review the implementation of a smoking cessation programme across 16 community mental health day services. The aim was to establish the experience from both service user and facilitator perspectives and refine implementation for future groups. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 service users and four focus groups held with 17 facilitators. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data for emergent themes in relation to key enablers and barriers to implementation. Data from service users and facilitators revealed that implementation was enabled by an open and engaged recruitment approach; the resourcefulness of facilitators; programme materials and group-based format; combining the cessation programme with other and broader health initiatives; and participants' motivations, including health and money. Barriers included the structure of the service; the lack of a joined-up approach across the health services; literacy issues and the serial/logical process assumed by the programme. Barriers perceived as more specific to those with mental health difficulties included the use of smoking as a coping mechanism, lack of alternative activities/structure and lack of consistent determination. The tobacco free policy, implemented shortly before the programme, interestingly emerged as both a barrier and an enabler. In conclusion, although this group-based cessation programme in community mental health settings was well-received overall, a number of key barriers persist. A joined-up approach which addresses the culture of smoking in mental health settings, inconsistencies in smoking policies, and provides consistent cessation support, is needed. Care needs to be taken with the timing as overall it may not be helpful to introduce a new smoking cessation programme at the same time as a tobacco free policy.

A Systematic Review of Psychosocial Barriers and Facilitators to Smoking Cessation in People Living With Schizophrenia

Background: People living with schizophrenia are less likely to quit smoking compared with the general population and people living with other psychiatric disorders. Understanding the schizophrenia-specific psychosocial barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation is important for designing effective smoking cessation interventions. We aimed to systematically review research examining psychosocial barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation in people living with schizophrenia. Methods: We followed the PRISMA statement to conduct a systematic literature review examining psychosocial barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation in people living with schizophrenia. We searched EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases from inception to 14 June 2018 to identify relevant articles. We included peer-reviewed original research articles that examined psychosocial barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation, as well as factors associated with maintenance of smoking habits in people living with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods study designs were included. Three authors screened titles, abstracts, and full-texts using the eligibility criteria. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the data to account for the heterogeneity of study designs. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative studies separately. Results: We identified 685 studies from our systematic search and screened the full-text of 134 articles. The final set of 23 articles included 20 quantitative studies and 3 qualitative studies. The most commonly cited barrier to smoking cessation in people living with schizophrenia was cravings and addiction, followed by a perceived increased risk of negative affect associated with quitting smoking. People living with schizophrenia reported smoking to manage stress and to maintain social relationships. People living with schizophrenia were found to be less likely to receive cessation support from health professionals than smokers without schizophrenia. Health concerns were the most commonly mentioned facilitator to quit smoking. Conclusions: People living with schizophrenia experience a wide range of barriers to smoking cessation. The influence of these barriers on smoking cessation likelihood may be greater among people living with schizophrenia than people without psychiatric disorders. Health professionals play an important role in smoking cessation for people living with schizophrenia and should consider barriers and facilitators identified in this review to support quitting in this vulnerable population.

Smoking Cessation and Electronic Cigarettes in Community Mental Health Centers: Patient and Provider Perspectives

Little is known about patients' electronic cigarette use, interest in and use of smoking cessation treatments, and providers' attitude towards such treatment. We assessed patients (N = 231) and providers (45 psychiatrists, 97 case workers) in four Community Mental Health Centers. Interestingly, 50% of smokers reported interest in using electronic cigarettes to quit smoking, and 22% reported current use. While 82% of smokers reported wanting to quit or reduce smoking, 91% of psychiatrists and 84% of case workers reported that patients were not interested in quitting as the lead barrier, limiting the provision of cessation interventions. Providers' assumption of low patient interest in treatment may account for the low rate of smoking cessation treatment. In contrast, patients report interest and active use of electronic cigarettes to quit smoking. This study highlights the need for interventions targeting different phases of smoking cessation in these patients suffering disproportionately from tobacco dependence.

Impact of self-reported lifetime depression or anxiety on effectiveness of mass distribution of nicotine patches

BACKGROUND

Large-scale public health initiatives providing free nicotine replacement therapy have been shown to increase smoking cessation rates; however, their effectiveness among the highly prevalent population of smokers with depression and anxiety disorders has not been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of lifetime history of depression or anxiety on smoking cessation success following the free distribution of nicotine patches.

METHOD

In the context of a randomised controlled trial, a secondary analysis was conducted on 1000 adult regular smokers randomised to be mailed a 5-week supply of nicotine patches or to a no intervention control group. Participants were divided into subgroups based on the presence of self-reported lifetime diagnosis of depression and anxiety.

RESULTS

Irrespective of self-reported lifetime history of depression or anxiety, odds of self-reported cessation at 6 months were significantly greater among groups receiving nicotine patches compared to no intervention control (no history of depression or anxiety: OR 2.20; 95% CI 1.05 to 4.63; history of depression or anxiety present: OR 3.90; 95% CI 1.28 to 11.88). Among nicotine patch recipients only, quit outcomes did not differ between those with and without self-reported lifetime depression or anxiety in models unadjusted and adjusted for differences in demographic and smoking characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

The mass distribution of free nicotine patches (without behavioural support) is effective among smokers with or without lifetime history of depression or anxiety alike, providing further support for the adoption of similar initiatives as a means of promoting tobacco cessation on a population level.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01429129, Post-results.

Barriers and Facilitators to Smoking Cessation Among People With Severe Mental Illness: A Critical Appraisal of Qualitative Studies

BACKGROUND

People with severe mental illness (PWSMI) die 15-20 years earlier than people in the general population and this is often due to preventable smoking-related health conditions. Studies that identify barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation are crucial for policy makers and health care professionals.

AIMS

This appraisal aims to identify and critically appraise qualitative studies which explore smoking experiences and barriers to smoking cessation among PWSMI.

METHOD

Articles were retrieved from electronic health related databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Sage, Biomed, Medline, Embase, and electronic hand searches of bibliographies from key articles.

RESULTS

Eleven papers were identified. Although the overall quality of studies were sufficient, most had limited information relating to trustworthiness and sociodemographic details. Cost savings and health benefits were frequently cited as facilitators to quitting, however may be of limited impact as smoking for existential purposes, social inclusion, and mental health management appear to be considered highly important among PWSMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings were restricted to predominantly individual barriers to smoking cessation which may be more resistant to change as service users rely on smoking to manage their mental health and smoking is embedded in the culture of mental health settings.

IMPLICATIONS

This critical appraisal identifies qualitative evidence regarding which factors facilitate or prevent individuals with severe mental illness from engaging with smoking cessation. Healthcare professionals and policy makers should address external barriers to quitting smoking as this may increase participation in intervention studies, inform policy and assist in the development of a feasible and acceptable smoking cessation intervention among PWSMI. Methodological considerations highlight that future research should include sociodemographic and contextual factors to improve utility and applicability of findings.

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) Program As a Useful Adjunct to Conventional Psychosocial Rehabilitation for Patients with Schizophrenia: Results of a Small-scale Randomized Controlled Trial

Currently, one of the main objectives of human-animal interaction research is to demonstrate the benefits of animal assisted therapy (AAT) for specific profiles of patients or participants. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of an AAT program as an adjunct to a conventional 6-month psychosocial rehabilitation program for people with schizophrenia. Our hypothesis is that the inclusion of AAT into psychosocial rehabilitation would contribute positively to the impact of the overall program on symptomology and quality of life, and that AAT would be a positive experience for patients. To test these hypotheses, we compared pre-program with post-program scores for the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the EuroQoL-5 dimensions questionnaire (EuroQol-5D), pre-session with post-session salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase for the last four AAT sessions, and adherence rates between different elements of the program. We conducted a randomized, controlled study in a psychiatric care center in Spain. Twenty-two institutionalized patients with chronic schizophrenia completed the 6-month rehabilitation program, which included individual psychotherapy, group therapy, a functional program (intended to improve daily functioning), a community program (intended to facilitate community reintegration) and a family program. Each member of the control group (n = 8) participated in one activity from a range of therapeutic activities that were part of the functional program. In place of this functional program activity, the AAT-treatment group (n = 14) participated in twice-weekly 1-h sessions of AAT. All participants received the same weekly total number of hours of rehabilitation. At the end of the program, both groups (control and AAT-treatment) showed significant improvements in positive and overall symptomatology, as measured with PANSS, but only the AAT-treatment group showed a significant improvement in negative symptomatology. Adherence to the AAT-treatment was significantly higher than overall adherence to the control group's functional rehabilitation activities. Cortisol level was significantly reduced after participating in an AAT session, which could indicate that interaction with the therapy dogs reduced stress. In conclusion, the results of this small-scale RCT suggest that AAT could be considered a useful adjunct to conventional psychosocial rehabilitation for people with schizophrenia.