Why Patients with Mental Disorders Find It Hard to Quit Smoking

In the U.S., individuals with mental disorders account for 40% to 50% of all cigarettes consumed. Cigarette smoking may contribute greatly to foreshortened lives in this population, and yet most cigarette smoking in psychiatric patients goes untreated. Although some experts advance “self-medication” hypotheses to explain high smoking rates and patients' lack of success in quitting, small studies have suggested that psychiatric patients also might experience more severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms than other smokers. In a two-part study, investigators examined nonspecific psychological distress, nicotine dependence and withdrawal, and motivations, attempts, and success in quitting.

In an analysis of data on 9913 current smokers participating…