About 1 in 4 Mental Health Treatment Facilities Offered Services to Quit Smoking


High rates of smoking among people with mental illness put them at great risk of premature death. Services to help people with mental illness quit smoking can improve their overall health and life expectancy.1

The National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS) is an annual survey of all known mental health treatment facilities in the United States. In 2010, the N-MHSS collected information from 9,048 mental health treatment facilities on the availability of services to quit smoking. Overall, about 1 in 4 (24.2 percent) facilities offered these services.

The percentage of facilities that offered services to quit smoking varied by treatment setting. These services were offered less frequently by facilities that provided residential treatment only (14.9 percent), outpatient treatment only (17.0 percent), and both outpatient and residential treatment (21.0 percent) compared to other facilities.

All mental health treatment facilities that provide smoking cessation services can play a critical role in helping clients quit smoking. More people who seek mental health care services receive outpatient than inpatient treatment.2 Thus, offering smoking cessation programs through outpatient settings would give more mental health clients the chance to quit. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a toolkit, Smoking Cessation for Persons with Mental Illnesses, aimed at treatment providers interested in adding or learning about services to help clients quit smoking (http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/Smoking_Cessation_for_Persons_with_MI.pdf).

Figure. Mental health treatment facilities offering services to quit smoking, by treatment setting: 2010
This is a bar graph comparing mental health treatment facilities offering services to quit smoking, by treatment setting: 2010. Accessible table located below this figure.

Figure Table. Mental health treatment facilities offering services to quit smoking, by treatment setting: 2010
Treatment Setting Percentage
Overall 24.2%
Inpatient only 57.1%
Inpatient, outpatient, and residential 50.0%
Inpatient and residential 49.2%
Inpatient and outpatient 47.3%
Outpatient and residential 21.0%
Outpatient only 17.0%
Residential only 14.9%
NOTE.—Inpatient settings include 24-hour psychiatric care in a hospital setting. Outpatient settings also include day treatment or partial hospitalization. Residential settings include 24-hour, overnight, psychiatric care in a residential nonhospital setting.

End Notes
1 Schroeder, S. A., & Morris, C. D. (2010). Confronting a neglected epidemic: Tobacco cessation for persons with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems. Annual Review of Public Health, 31, 297-314. doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.012809.103701
2 Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2013). Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental health findings (HHS Publication No. SMA 13-4805, NSDUH Series H-47). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Source: Source: 2010 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS). N-MHSS is an annual survey of all mental health treatment facilities in the United States, both public and private, that are known to SAMHSA. N-MHSS is one component of the Behavioral Health Services Information System (BHSIS), an integrated data system maintained by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ), SAMHSA. Information and data for this report are based on data reported to N-MHSS for the survey reference date April 30, 2010. For more information on N-MHSS, see https://www.samhsa.gov/data/mental-health-facilities-data-nmhss.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. The Data Spotlight may be copied without permission. Citation of the source is appreciated. Find this report and those on similar topics online at https://www.samhsa.gov/data/.