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. 2021 Aug;57(6):1023-1031.
doi: 10.1007/s10597-020-00726-0. Epub 2020 Oct 20.

Screening and Treatment of Tobacco Use Disorder in Mental Health Clinics in New York State: Current Status and Potential Next Steps

Adria Zern  1 , Michael Seserman  2 , Heather Dacus  3 , Barbara Wallace  3 , Susan Friedlander  4 , Marc W Manseau  5 , Maxine M Smalling  4 , Thomas E Smith  1   4   6 , Jill M Williams  7 , Michael T Compton  8   9
Affiliations

Screening and Treatment of Tobacco Use Disorder in Mental Health Clinics in New York State: Current Status and Potential Next Steps

Adria Zern et al. Community Ment Health J. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

The prevalence of smoking is higher among individuals with serious mental illnesses than the general population. Evidence-based practices exist for tobacco cessation, but little is known about mental health clinics' tobacco cessation treatment practices/protocols. Mental health clinics in New York State were surveyed about their tobacco use treatment protocols and outdoor-smoking policies. One-third of clinics were not providing individual counseling for tobacco use disorder, 39% were not prescribing nicotine replacement therapy, and nearly half reported not prescribing bupropion or varenicline. Even smaller proportions reported implementing other clinical practice guidelines, with only 25.2% providing staff training and 20.3% having a dedicated staff member for coordinating tobacco use disorder treatment. Regarding outdoor smoke-free policies, 38% of clinics reported not allowing any tobacco use anywhere on grounds. Despite some successes, many clinics do not provide evidence-based tobacco use treatments, meaning important opportunities exist for mental health clinics and oversight agencies to standardize practices.

Keywords: Clinics; Serious mental illnesses; Smoking; Tobacco.

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