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Smoking rates in the U.S. have declined due to enhanced public-health efforts, but much less is known about trends in smoking rates and treatment response in mentally ill patients, who smoke much more than the general population. Two recent studies add important information about smoking prevalence and response to psychiatric and smoking cessation treatment in the mentally ill.
Cook and colleagues examined changes in smoking rates from 2004 to 2011 by using data from a health survey (N=165,269). Mental illness was determined by outpatient treatment in the previous year or a positive screen for psychological distress or depression. Although rates declined significantly in individuals without mental illness (from 19.2% to 16.5%) they changed l…