Would smokers with schizophrenia benefit from a more flexible approach to smoking treatment?

Authors

Dennis E. McChargue, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Susy B. Gulliver, Boston VAMC and Boston University, Boston, MA
Brian Hitsman, Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, Brown Medical School and The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI

Date of this Version

June 2002

Comments

Published in Addiction, 97, 785–793.

Abstract

We evaluated literature that addresses the notion that flexible smoking treatment approaches are warranted for smokers with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Understanding the biological and psychological mechanisms that increase the likelihood of smoking and decrease the motivation to quit for these individuals is addressed within the framework of a neurobiological model. We provide a brief overview of the limited smoking cessation treatment literature for patients with schizophrenia and compare abstinence-focused versus reduction-focused treatment modalities. The potential utility of the reduction-focused approach to tobacco treatment for these smokers is evaluated. Suggestions for future research to address the utility and efficacy of reduction-focused interventions for smokers with schizophrenia are put forth. We conclude with a consideration of the implications for the current understanding of smoking treatment among patients with co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses.