Smoking cessation for people with severe mental illness (SCIMITAR+): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial

Publication date: Available online 8 April 2019Source: The Lancet PsychiatryAuthor(s): Simon Gilbody, Emily Peckham, Della Bailey, Catherine Arundel, Paul Heron, Suzanne Crosland, Caroline Fairhurst, Catherine Hewitt, Jinshuo Li, Steve Parrott, Tim Bradshaw, Michelle Horspool, Elizabeth Hughes, Tom Hughes, Suzy Ker, Moira Leahy, Tayla McCloud, David Osborn, Joe Reilly, Thomas SteareSummaryBackgroundPeople with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia are three times more likely to smoke than the wider population, contributing to widening health inequalities. Smoking remains the largest modifiable risk factor for this health inequality, but people with severe mental illness have not historically engaged with smoking cessation services. We aimed to test the effectiveness of a combined behavioural and pharmacological smoking cessation intervention targeted specifically at people with severe mental illness.MethodsIn the smoking cessation intervention for severe mental illness (SCIMITAR+) trial, a pragmatic, randomised controlled study, we recruited heavy smokers with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia from 16 primary care and 21 community-based mental health sites in the UK. Participants were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, and smoked at least five cigarettes per day. Exclusion criteria included substantial comorbid drug or alcohol problems and people who lacked capacity to consent at the time of recruitment. Using computer-generated random numbers, participants...
Source: The Lancet Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research