Tobacco Use & Bipolar Disorder: Results from a Large Online Survey

Reyes, Reason

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Exhibit Hall (Kansas City Convention Center)

Reason Reyes, MPA , Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Smoking Cessation Leadership Center, San Francisco, CA

Dr. Steven Schroeder, MD , Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Judith Prochaska, PhD, MPH , Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Mr. Allen Doederlein, BA , Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Chicago, IL

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation attendees will be able to:

Learn the methods and results of the large online survey.
Understand key findings and their applications to tobacco dependence interventions.
Learn how the study may inform development of more effective smoking cessation programs for people living with Bipolar Disorder.

Cross Cutting Program Area(s): Increasing Diversity/Eliminating Disparities and Cessation

Audience: Behavioral health providers at all levels of experience.

Key Points: Though 70% of individuals with bipolar disorder smoke, little is known about their attempts to quit. An on-line survey conducted by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), a peer support network, examined tobacco use, quit attempts, and tobacco-related attitudes and intentions among 685 individuals with bipolar disorder who smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. Data were collected between Nov 2007 and Mar 2008 via a DBSA website link. The sample was largely female (67%), aged 26 to 50 (67%), and Caucasian (89%). About 58% were presently limited by mental health symptoms. Smoking onset was at mean age 17 years (SD=6) and had lasted 7 years prior to bipolar disorder diagnosis. Most were current smokers (87%), of whom 92% smoked daily, averaging 19 cigarettes/day (SD=11); 44% reported smoking to treat mental illness; 79% believed excellent mental health was necessary to quit. Of current smokers, 32% reported a psychiatrist, therapist (23%), or case manager (8%) had given quit advice. Most wanted to quit (74%); had tried to quit in the past year (65%); and currently planned to quit smoking (67%). Ex-smokers (13% of sample) had quit a median of 2.7 years; 45% quit “cold turkey”; 23% used NRT. Most ex-smokers (64%) rated their mental health as poor or fair when they quit smoking.

Educational Experience: Through lecture presentation.

Benefits: The study may inform development of more effective smoking cessation programs for people living with Bipolar Disorder.

330 Tobacco Use & Bipolar Disorder: Results from a Large Online Survey