Cited by 323Smoking Behavior and CessationSubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesMental Health Treatment and Access

Smoking and mental illness in the US population

Open access
Smith, Philip H, Mazure, Carolyn M, McKee, Sherry A·2014·Tobacco Control

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Those with any psychiatric diagnosis have substantially greater rates of smoking and are less likely to quit smoking than those with no diagnosis. Using nationally representative data, we sought to provide estimates of smoking and longitudinal cessation rates by specific psychiatric diagnoses and mental health service use. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Data were analysed from a two-wave cohort survey of a U.S. nationally representative sample (non-institutionalised adults): the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; 2001-2002, n=43,093; 2004-2005, n=34,653). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We examined smoking rates (lifetime, past year and past year heavy) and cross-sectional quit rates among those with any lifetime or past year psychiatric diagnosis (DSM-IV). Importantly, we examined longitudinal quit rates and conducted analyses by gender and age categories. RESULTS: Those with any current psychiatric diagnosis had 3.23 (95% CI 3.11 to 3.35) times greater odds of currently smoking than those with no diagnosis, and were 25% less likely to have quit by follow-up (95% CI 20% to 30%). Prevalence varied by specific diagnoses (32.4% to 66.7%) as did cessation rates (10.3% to 17.9%). Comorbid disorders were associated with higher proportions of heavy smoking. Treatment use was associated with greater prevalence of smoking and lower likelihood of cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Those with psychiatric diagnoses remained much more likely to smoke and less likely to quit, with rates varying by specific diagnosis. Our findings highlight the need to improve our ability to address smoking and psychiatric comorbidity both within and outside of healthcare settings. Such advancements will be vital to reducing mental illness-related disparities in smoking and continuing to decrease tobacco use globally.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051466

Cites

21 of 21 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 5 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Finding

    Adults with current psychiatric diagnoses were substantially more likely to be current smokers than adults with no diagnosis.

    “Those with a current diagnosis had 3.23 times greater odds of being a current smoker than those with no diagnosis (OR = 3.23, 95% CI = 3.11, 3.35)”
    Quote in the paperNot yet classified
  • Finding

    The authors conclude that psychiatric diagnoses are linked to greater smoking and lower quitting, especially for people with comorbid disorders.

    “those with psychiatric diagnoses were substantially more likely to smoke cigarettes, and among those who smoked, were less likely to stop using tobacco compared to those with no disorders. This was particularly true for those with co-morbid lifetime disorders”
    Quote in the paperNot yet classified
  • Finding

    Mental health treatment utilization was associated with greater smoking prevalence and lower likelihood of cessation.

    “Treatment utilization was associated with greater prevalence of smoking and lower likelihood of cessation.”
    Quote in the paperNot yet classified
  • Finding

    Smoking prevalence and cessation rates differed by specific psychiatric diagnosis.

    “Prevalence varied by specific diagnoses (32.4% to 66.7%) as did cessation rates (10.3% to 17.9%).”
    Quote in the paperNot yet classified
  • Finding

    People who had ever sought mental health help were less likely to quit smoking by Wave 2 than those who had not sought help.

    “Lifetime smokers who ever sought help were less likely to have quit smoking by Wave 1 (33.0% vs. 38.9%; OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.82, 0.87) or by Wave 2 (16.3% vs. 19.7%; RR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.76, 0.90).”
    Quote in the paperNot yet classified

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • In the US, individuals with mental health disorders are nearly twice as likely to report cigarette smoking compared to those without mental health disorders (28.2% vs. 15.8% for past-month cigarette smoking).

    “In fact, in the US, individuals with mental health disorders are nearly twice as likely to report cigarette smoking when compared to those without mental health disorders (28.2% vs. 15.8% for past-month cigarette smoking) [4, 5].”

    From Can an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Based Smartphone App Help Individuals with Mental Health Disorders Quit Smoking? (2024) · cites this paper as [5]

    The Results section (page unavailable) supports the general association: smoking prevalence was higher among people with psychiatric diagnoses. It reports 39.0% for those with a past-year diagnosis versus 15.5% for those with no diagnosis, not 28.2% versus 15.8%. The Methods section defines current smoking as smoking during the past year, not the past month. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • A substantial proportion of all smokers have a history of depression.

    “A substantial proportion of all smokers have a history of depression”
  • Among people with depression, smoking prevalence is about twice as high as in the general population.

    “Smoking is more prevalent among people with depression.”

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Prevalence range for specific diagnoses conflicts with Discussion

    Minor

    The Results section says smoking prevalence across specific diagnoses ranged from 32.4% to 66.7%, but the Discussion says the range was 23.4% to 66.7%. The lower bound cannot be both 32.4% and 23.4% for the same summary.

  • Wave 1 quit-rate comparison runs opposite to its description

    Minor

    The stated comparison puts the quit rate for those who sought help first. At 29.0% versus 27.6%, that rate is higher, not lower, despite the sentence describing them as less likely to quit.

  • Current-smoking comparison labels both groups as treatment seekers

    Minor

    The sentence assigns different current-smoking prevalences to people who sought help and people who ever sought help. Unlike the preceding lifetime-smoking comparison, it does not identify a group that did not seek help.

  • Reported lower bound for diagnosis-specific smoking prevalence changes

    Minor

    The abstract and discussion give different lower bounds for smoking prevalence across specific diagnoses while sharing the same upper bound: 32.4% and 23.4%, respectively.

  • Discussion claims adjustment for variables absent from the described models

    Minor

    The discussion says the differences remained significant after accounting for the sociodemographic variables it lists, including income and race/ethnicity. The methods describe adjustment for age, gender, and education only.

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Authors
Smith, P. H., Mazure, C. M., & McKee, S. A.
Affiliations
Yale University (US)
Corresponding author
McKee, Sherry A
Venue
Tobacco Control
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2014-04-12
Volume
23
Issue
e2
Pages
e147-e153
ISSN
  • 0964-4563 (ISSN-L)
  • 1468-3318
OpenAlex
W2141831357
Cited by
323
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 1
FWCI
17.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Tobacco Control (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH014235)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (P50DA033945)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
Keywords
smoking, mental illness, smoking cessation, tobacco use, psychiatric comorbidity, mental health service utilization, heavy smoking, tobacco use disparities, gender differences, age differences
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Mental Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Health Services, Middle Aged, Smoking, Socioeconomic Factors, Tobacco Use Disorder, Prevalence, Smoking Cessation, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Health Status Disparities, Young Adult

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