Investigating changes in patients' smoking behaviour, tobacco dependence and motivation to stop smoking following a 'smoke-free' mental health inpatient stay:results from a longitudinal survey in England

INTRODUCTION: In line with national guidance, mental health Trusts in England are implementing complete smokefree policies. We investigated inpatients' changes in smoking behaviour, tobacco dependence, vaping and motivation to stop smoking between pre-admission and post-discharge. METHODS: We surveyed acute adult mental health inpatients from 14 wards in three mental health Trusts in England in 2019. Structured face-to-face and telephone interviews with patients who smoked on or during admission were conducted during the admission period and at 1 week and 1 month after discharge. Data on smoking status; daily cigarette consumption; Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI); Strength of Urges to Smoke (SUTS); Motivation to Stop Smoking (MTSS) and vaping were collected and analysed using regression and probit models. RESULTS: Inpatient smoking prevalence was 51.9%, and a total of 152 of all 555 eligible smokers (27%) were recruited. Attrition was high: 49.3% at the first, and 50.7% at the second follow-up interview. Changes in self-reported smoking status, motivation to quit and vaping did not change significantly over the study period. Cigarette consumption (p<0.001) and Heaviness of Smoking Index (p<0.001) modestly reduced. Frequency and strength of urges to smoke (p=0.011 and 0.012, respectively) decreased modestly after discharge but were scored as high by 57% and 60% of participants during admission respectively. Just over half (56%) reported being offered smoking cessation support on admission. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified very modest changes in smoking-related outcomes during and after admission and indicates major challenges to smokefree policy implementation, including limited support for patients who smoke. IMPLICATIONS: Despite mental health Trusts in England having developed and implemented smokefree policies to meet national guidelines, adherence to these policies and provision of effective smoking cessation and temporary abstinence support for inpatients admitted to acute adult mental health wards appear to be limited. Patients who smoke on admission are likely to continue to do so during admission and after discharge, and only very modest change in smoking behaviours appears to take place. Important opportunities to promote smoking cessation in this population are missed. Barriers to effective support need to be identified and addressed.