Treatment of nicotine dependence in the chronic mentally ill.

Since rates of smoking cessation in psychiatric patients are low, the manner in which information on the importance of abstinence is presented and the scope of the treatment provided to psychiatric patients who have decided not to smoke are very important. This article will describe the development and implementation of a smoking-cessation group for chronic mentally ill patients. Components of the program are described and a detailed case example is provided. The smoking behavior of patients who participated in the first year of programming is reviewed, along with patient evaluation of program effectiveness. Our experience demonstrates the importance of psychoeducation for chronic psychiatric patients who tend not to have received formal education on the dangers of smoking and the possibility of addiction. Our findings indicate that patients are willing to learn more about smoking and the consequences of this behavior, even though many of them were not able to set quit dates. The provision of information through education groups increases the possibility of moving patients to the precontemplation stage.