Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Vasileios Margaritis

Abstract

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.5% of adults with any mental illness use tobacco compared to 25.3% of adults without a mental illness; however, there are limited data to determine the best approaches for tobacco cessation among the mentally ill. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to investigate the differences among 1-on-1 counseling versus group counseling in tobacco cessation rates among psychiatric patients aged 18 years old and older who were identified as a tobacco user upon admission to a local inpatient mental health facility during December 2016 to November 2017, as well as whether the type of counseling affects the receipt of Nicotine Replacement Treatment (NRT) by this population group. The social ecological model guided this study. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and binomial logistic regression were used to address the research questions. The results revealed that cessation rates were higher within the group sessions when compared to 1-on-1 counseling (OR = 2.326, 95% CI: 1.17–4.633). Patients who were part of the group counseling sessions were less probable to receive NRT compared to those individuals that were in 1-to-1 counseling (OR = 1.173, CI 95%: .718 –1.917). The implications for positive social change include educating all physicians, nurses, and staff and leading efforts to reduce tobacco use within the mentally ill population receiving care at the local inpatient mental health facility, which could result in the reduction of overall tobacco users within the mentally ill population.

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