Smoking attitudes, behaviour and nicotine dependence among mental health acute inpatients: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND

In 2008, mental health units in England went smoke-free by law. This study explores inpatients' experience with a smoke-free policy, their smoking behaviour, dependence, withdrawal and related issues.

MATERIAL: Semi-structured interviews in a criterion sample of 15 inpatient smokers.

DISCUSSION: Patients generally approved of the smoke-free policy, provided they could smoke outside. Most participants had changed their smoking behaviour following admission. Most had little knowledge of nicotine dependence, reported a lack of structured support for smoking cessation, and a general interest in this being made available. Nicotine dependence was reportedly lower in the ward than in the home setting.

CONCLUSIONS

More structured support is needed to ensure that opportunities for health promotion in a vulnerable population are not being missed.