An Examination of the Effectiveness of Smoking Cessation Treatment Interventions for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

To evaluate the effectiveness of two different smoking cessation interventions for individuals with severe mental illness. Study participants (N = 61) randomly assigned to the SC-R group (n = 29) were offered 24 weeks of no cost Nicotine Replacement Treatment (NRT); participants assigned to the SC + group (n = 32) were offered 24 weeks of no cost NRT plus two initial individual counselling sessions of motivational interviewing and weekly psychosocial group support for 24 weeks. At 6 months the smoking cessation outcome was 7% for the SC-R group and 14% for the SC + group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. Both groups showed a significant decrease in the number of cigarettes smoked per day and significant improvement in physical health functioning. Clients with severe mental illness, high prevalence of co-occurring substance use and experience of homelessness, are both interested and able to quit smoking and reduce cigarette use.