Led by Elena Ratschen, Associate Professor in Health Sciences at the University of York and Lion Shahab, Professor in Health Psychology at
University College London, 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.To get more news
about
Vape Starter Kit, you can visit univapo official website.
Although smoking rates are declining in the UK, no change has been seen
in people with mental illness¹. The proportion of people with mental
illness who smoke is extremely high compared with the general
population.
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%².
According to Public Health England, vaping products are significantly
less harmful than smoking. They have become the most popular stop
smoking aid in England, with up to 57,000 people using them to quit
smoking each year³.
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.”
