Abstract
<jats:title>Summary</jats:title>
<jats:p>Smoking rates are higher for people who use mental health services, which contributes substantially to health inequalities. Smoking can lead to worse COVID-19 outcomes, yet it remains unclear whether smoking has changed for people who use mental health services. We examined smoking patterns in a large clinical cohort of people with severe mental illness, before and during the pandemic. We found high levels of nicotine dependence and heavier patterns of smoking. Although some people had reported quitting, it is likely that smoking inequalities have become further entrenched. Mental health services should seek to mitigate this modifiable risk and source of poor health.</jats:p>
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 0 |
Journal | BJPsych Open |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 23 Apr 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2021 |