AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Mental Health Clinicians Integrate Cessation Treatment Into Regular Care of Smokers With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Increasing Likelihood of Quitting

Innovation Profile:

Mental Health Clinicians Integrate Cessation Treatment Into Regular Care of Smokers With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Increasing Likelihood of Quitting



Summary
Veteran Affairs medical centers participating in a clinical trial used mental health practitioners to provide smoking cessation counseling and treatment to patients with posttraumatic stress disorder as part of their regular mental health care. Using well-established practices and interventions, these practitioners provided five weekly core sessions focused on building skills that aid in quitting, three followup visits focused on preventing and managing relapses, and at least monthly “booster” sessions to assess smoking status and intervene as necessary. The program enhanced access to treatment, which, in turn, increased short- and long-term quit rates without detracting from the effectiveness of mental health treatment.

Evidence Rating
Strong: The evidence consists of a randomized controlled trial comparing key measures in 472 program participants and 471 similar patients receiving a referral to an onsite smoking cessation clinic within the same VA facilities. Measures include number of treatment sessions attended, use of smoking cessation medications, short- and long-term rates of abstinence, time to relapse to smoking, psychiatric symptoms, and serious adverse events.


Developing Organizations
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

Date First Implemented
2004
Small-scale studies of the program began in 2002 at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle. Recruitment for the multisite trial began in November 2004 and continued until December 2007.

Patient Population
The multisite clinical trial included cigarette smokers being treated for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in outpatient mental health clinics at 10 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers.Vulnerable Populations > Co-occurring disorders; Mentally ill; Military/Dependents/Veterans; Substance abuser

full-text:
AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Mental Health Clinicians Integrate Cessation Treatment Into Regular Care of Smokers With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Increasing Likelihood of Quitting