Therapies for smoking

How is smoking related to schizophrenia?

Tobacco smoking is very common among people with schizophrenia, who often show particularly heavy usage. This poses considerable health risks, may interfere with antipsychotic medications and may place a financial burden on the individual. Heavy cigarette use may contribute to the increased mortality and reduced life expectancy reported within the schizophrenia population.

What is the evidence for interventions for smoking?

Moderate to low quality evidence finds some long-term benefit of specialised smoking abstinence programs for people with schizophrenia over standard group therapy for smoking cessation. However, an American Lung Association group program was more effective than a specialised smoking cessation group program.

There was no sustained benefit of individual therapy over standard care for smoking cessation, although there was a significant reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked over one year with individual therapy. Contingency reinforcement involving monetary rewards in combination with transdermal nicotine was more effective for reducing smoking than contingency reinforcement alone or self-quit (no intervention).

September 2020

Last updated at: 4:10 am, 21st September 2020
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