Smoking and Mental Illness: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Output Over Time

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of smoking among persons with a mental illness has remained unchanged, being 2-3 times higher than the general population in high-income countries. Assessment of the volume and characteristics of research output over time can assist in identifying research priorities to promote progress within a field. The aim of this study was to undertake such an assessment in the field of smoking and mental illness. Methods: A descriptive repeat cross-sectional study was conducted of peer-reviewed publications in Medline and PsycINFO for the periods 1993-1995, 2003-2005, and 2013-2015. Publications were classified as data-or non-data-based; data-based publications were further categorized by study type, population, setting, and for intervention-focused publications by level of evidence and research translation phase. Results: Included were 547 articles published in 1993-1995 (n = 65), 2003-2005 (n = 153), and 2013-2015 (n = 329). The number and proportion of data-based publications significantly increased over time, although their focus remained predominantly descriptive (≥83%); less than 14% of publications in any period had an intervention focus. The proportion of publications reporting on study populations with multiple diagnostic categories and recruiting from nonmental health settings, significantly increased from 1993-1995 to 2003-2005, however then plateaued by 2013-2015. The level of evidence provided by intervention-focused publications was suggested to increase over time, however there was no evident variation in translation phase. Conclusions: Research has increased over time to characterize smoking among those with a mental illness; however more is needed to inform the development and implementation of effective cessation interventions for this group. Implications: This is the first study to examine the volume and characteristics of research publications in the field of smoking and mental illness over time. The number of publications increased fivefold between

Smoking, Mental Illness, and Public Health

“…This review is timely because smoking among individuals with mental illness has gained attention, and research in this area has grown exponentially. A recent bibliometric analysis of the literature on tobacco and mental illness documented a steady increase in research outputs from the two-year periods of 1993–1995 ( n = 65) to 2003–2005 ( n = 153) to 2013–2015 ( n = 329) ( 81 ). Notably, the study designs remained predominantly descriptive in form (>80%), with few experimental studies testing cessation interventions (<13%).…”

Rates of retention of persons with a mental health disorder in outpatient smoking cessation and reduction trials, and associated factors: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Despite this, many high-quality randomised trials of smoking interventions exclude persons with a mental health disorder15 16 and those focused on this population group often lack rigour due to, for example, small sample size and low participant retention 17–19. More rigorous intervention research is needed to address this international public health issue 20 21…”

Factors associated with retention in a smoking cessation trial for persons with a mental illness: a descriptive study

“…In high income countries [2, 3] including Australia [4, 5], the prevalence of smoking remains disproportionately high among some population groups such as those with a diagnosed mental illness [6–8], where the prevalence has been estimated between 36 and 67% [9–11]. More rigorous intervention research tailored to smokers with a mental illness has been recommended to address the associated inequitable health burden [12, 13].…”