Smoking Behaviors and Medical Co-Morbidities in Patients With Mental Illnesses

Correlations among smoking behaviors and co-morbid medical illnesses were examined among 982 smokers with mental illnesses enrolled in a smoking cessation program within Mental Health and Addictions Services in Vancouver, Canada. Significant correlates among individuals with psychotic disorders included associations between a history of emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) disease and cigarettes smoked per day (r's = .35, p ≤ .01), Confidence in quitting (r's = −.33, p ≤ .01), and nicotine dependence (r's = .32, p ≤ .01). Study findings may have implications for the development of integrated medical-psychiatric treatment delivery models that include comprehensive tobacco cessation programs tailored toward people with mental illnesses.