Use of Smoking Cessation Therapies in Individuals with Psychiatric IllnessAn Update for Prescribers

Individuals with mental illness are particularly disadvantaged by their use of tobacco, spending as much as 40% of their income on cigarettes. They also have increased mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. The most effective interventions to help psychiatric patients stop smoking are similar to those that are effective in the general population. These include psychological treatments, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion and nortriptyline, at least in the short term.