Challenging the smoking culture within a mental health service supportively

Abstract

Smoking is an entrenched part of the culture of mental health care services. This paper discusses the smoking culture in mental health care settings and demonstrates a supportive model to engage staff to actively address their tobacco use and to influence a change in smoking-related workplace policy, practice, and culture. With management endorsement, two 9-week staff smoking cessation support groups were implemented and subsidized nicotine replacement therapy was provided to staff within the Alma Street Mental Health Service, Fremantle Hospital, Western Australia. Eighteen staff members from nursing, social work, administration staff, and patient care assistants participated in the group programme. At the conclusion of the programme, 61% (n = 11) of participants had quit as a result of the groups. Furthermore, a 3-month follow-up evaluation revealed that 39% (n = 7) of the group had abstained from smoking because of the programme. More importantly, the groups engaged staff to discuss workplace smoking issues and produced five recommendations to review policy and practice to further influence a change in the smoking culture of the mental health care service. The groups also provided the opportunity to develop a model of intervention to address smoking in a mental health setting and to raise the public health role of mental health nurses.

Community mental healthcare providers’ attitudes and practices related to smoking cessation interventions for people living with severe mental illness

“…Ideally, workplace initiatives should be provided to support providers interested in making a cessation attempt. There is evidence to support the efficacy smoking cessation programs for staff in mental health facilities [45]. We cannot expect staff to support clients in their smoking cessation attempts unless they are supported themselves.…”

This is the embodiment of empowerment: use of forum theatre to address tobacco use in community psychiatry

“…The successful introduction of cigarettes by tobacco industry marketing has contributed to the ubiquitous norm of smoking in psychiatric settings. Cultural value placed on the use of cigarettes as a point of therapeutic connection or as behavioural currency has become commonplace (Dickens, Stubbs, & Haw, 2004;Reilly, Murphy, & Alderton, 2006) and assumptions of a tobacco presence as part of the social landscape of mental illness is troublesome. Due to the complicated nature of these issues, there has been a temptation to ignore tobacco as an issue in this context historically (Ziedonis, Williams, & Smelson, 2003).…”

Becoming an Exhausted Smoker: the Beginning of the End

“…A detailed report of the r American Journal of Nursing Science 2013, 2(1): [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] for helping patients to cut down or quit. A better understanding of determinants of smoking cessation is needed to provide more effective smoking cessation programs 20 .…”

“…Smoking prevalence is high among psychiatric nurses and people with a history of mental illness compared to the general population [4][5][6] . Psychiatric nurses play a salient role in smoking cessation and prevention programs to promote health for smokers as a part of their health promotion role 7 .…”