​Smoking and Mental Illness

​Five Things Every Psychiatrist Should Know
The facts may be familiar: people with mental illness are much more likely to smoke than people without mental illness and the consequences of smoking take a tremendous toll on these individuals. Unfortunately, this is an often over-looked area in mental health care. As psychiatrists we can play a vital role in helping people with mental illness quit smoking and significantly improve their quality of life.
Tobacco use among persons with mental health conditions can be prevented, and those who currently smoke can quit. APA is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help people quit smoking. The following are key points and resources from CDC to help you help your patients quit smoking.
1. Cigarette smoking is more common among adults with mental health conditions than in the general population
People with mental health conditions smoke at twice the rate of the general population. CDC estimates that 44.3 percent of all cigarettes consumed in the U.S. are smoked by people with mental health conditions.

  The disproportionately high rates of smoking in this population are likely due to a combination of biological, psychological and social factors that work together to create a unique vulnerability for tobacco dependence.

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