Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Smoking Rate among Adults with Serious Psych.

Recent data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health have shown that the smoking rate is much higher among persons with mental illness than among those who do not have mental illness. Current smoking among adults without serious psychological distress (SPD) decreased steadily between 1997 and 2011 (from 24.1 to 18.2 percent). In contrast, current smoking among adults with SPD did not decline during this period (43.6 percent in 1997 and 42.1 percent in 2011). The study’s authors suggest that mental health providers may want to assess whether their patients need help to quit smoking. While quitting may be hard for persons with SPD, there are special programs to help persons with mental health issues quit smoking. For resources, please visit: http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/health-wellness/tobacco-cessation.