Veterans with physical illness or injury is likely to say “it’s time to quit” than veterans with mental health problems. All veterans need help to quit smoking.
A recent research crunched the numbers of veterans who smoke. Those with mental health problems do not say to quit smoking as often as other veterans.
A team of researchers led by Sonia A. Duffy, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, a serious mental illness and treatment resources, the assessment of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Research Management, set to investigate whether veterans with mental disorders received a same care as other veterans for smoking cessation.
The research team looked at 2007 Veterans Health Administration Outpatient health screening experience of patients filled 224,193 veterans looking for a diagnosis of mental health. They compared patients diagnosed with other mental health of smokers and health recommendations doctor to quit smoking.
Veterans without mental disorders were 15.9 percent smoking rate, and with mental disorders was 27.1 to 47.7 percent smoking rate. Schizophrenia and bipolar patients place on the high end of the smoking rates.
Doctors recommend 60 to 80 percent of patients with mental illness to quit, but patients with severe mental illness are less likely to get the same advice.
In patients with schizophrenia, 30 percent less likely than patients without mental illness follows the advice of doctors to quit smoking.
The study authors stated that “… those who had concomitant post-traumatic stress disorder or substance use disorders were significantly more likely to report that they received advice to quit smoking, recommendations for medication and doctor discussions about the withdrawal method, compared with those without these disorders.”
The authors hope that this information will help to Veterans Affairs health care workers to intensify their efforts to help veterans diagnosed each quit.
“Several programs are being implemented in the VA to help veterans with smoking, including advice on the implementation of telephone nurse administered tobacco intervention tactics for all stationary smokers, and smoking cessation treatment integrated with mental health care for PTSD was made by mental health doctors”
This study was published in Psychiatric Care, April 2012. No financial information was given. No conflicts of interest were found.