Ecigs For Mental Health
NHS patients with a diagnosed mental health illness are going to be offered ecig starter kits thanks to a £1-million clinical trial being funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research
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by Dave Cross
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YCR says the research “will test whether offering a vaping starter kit to patients who smoke as part of their routine care can help increase the number who quit successfully.”
The charity states that despite declining smoking rates, this change has only benefitted sections of society without mental illness. Smoking within those with a diagnosed condition remains stubbornly “extremely high compared with the general population.”
It cites figures from its county: “In Yorkshire, 15.4% of the population are smokers, but in people with common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, the rate is 27.3%. In people with serious mental illnesses, the rate can reach 42%.”
Dr Ratschen said: “Until very recently, smoking has remained deeply embedded within the culture of mental health care and treatment settings, where it was commonly accepted as a coping mechanism for patients. We now know that smoking worsens mental illness symptoms and may even be linked to its development.
“There is an urgent need to address smoking-related inequalities in mental health. People with mental illness lose up to 20 years of life expectancy, mainly to consequences of smoking and often cancer.
“People with mental illness are just as motivated to quit as those without. However, giving up smoking can be difficult because of limited access to support and high dependence. Contact with health professionals presents a ‘teachable moment’ with opportunities to address smoking.”
Professor Shahab added: “There is growing evidence that e-cigarettes can help smokers kick the habit of a lifetime and that these devices may be particularly helpful for smokers with common mental health conditions.”
Around 740 people in Yorkshire who are currently receiving outpatient treatment for mental illness will be recruited to take part in the four-year trial. As well as receiving standard stop smoking support, they will be offered a starter kit including a vaping device and e-liquid.
If the trial is successful, the initiative could be adopted by mental health trusts in Yorkshire and across the country.
Dr Ratschen continued: “There is an emerging track record for the delivery of internationally relevant research into innovative approaches to tackling the epidemic of smoking and smoking-related harms in Yorkshire mental health services.
“This study will enable Yorkshire people who smoke and use mental health services to participate in a world-leading research programme, allowing them to benefit from effective stop smoking strategies.”
References:
- Yorkshire Cancer Research - https://yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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