Smoking attitudes, beliefs, and readiness to change among acute and long term care inpatients with psychiatric diagnoses

The present study represents an initial assessment of barriers and motives for quitting, health risk knowledge, and readiness to change in a hospitali zed acute and long term care population with psychiatric diagnoses, and dua l diagnoses of substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. Ninety-two patien ts residing in admissions, long term care, and mentally impaired/chemically addicted (MICA) units of a VA Medical Center were interviewed by nursing s taff. Among the 78% of patients who smoke (smokers), 68% believed smoking w as harmful and quitting would benefit their health. The majority of smokers were in Precontemplation (53%) or Contemplation (24%). Smokers in the MICA unit were more similar to the general population in smoking related belief s and were more likely than other smokers to be in Preparation. These resul ts indicate a need for educational and motivational enhancement interventio ns for the majority of smokers hospitalized for psychiatric disorders. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.